The Legendaries
by Rose1991
Summary: 5 girls from another world somehow end up in Konoha on a road trip. Once there, wierd things start to happen. They get new powers, dragons, and have to become ninja. GaaOC SasuOC KibaOC ShikaOC KankOC WOAH! 22000 reads, 225 reviews, & 50 faves! Thnx!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto, its characters or its scenery. Mr. Kishimoto does. But I do own the plot! ^.^ Yay me!

**Prologue: The Prophecy**

An old man sat at a desk preparing to write about his vision. He was a most famous soothsayer, but in his old age, people started to think he was just becoming senile. No one listened to his preaching in the village square anymore. Nobody headed his word when he warned about the rise of Jinnchurikis and the ethical issues it caused. Nobody listened when he talked about the split between the local tribes, even though it had just happened and each tribe was creating different nations. He warned about war and bloodshed, but no one cared anymore.

But this last one, he had to make sure people knew about it. This one led to the apocalypse, and if they weren't ready, they would surely die. So he wrote down what he saw quickly.

The next day he ran to the first Hokage's office and handed him the prophecy. The first quickly read:

_Five Ladies from another world_

_Each of hidden power._

_One is Fire_

_One is Water_

_One is Wind_

_One is Earth_

_One is Spirit_

_Each with creatures to help their cause._

_They come to help these chosen_

_Five men of strength and wisdom._

_One is Sand_

_One is Beast_

_One is Shadow_

_One is Manipulation_

_One is Sight_

_These ten will help the one of Nine_

_To defeat the darkness soon to take hold of the World._

_But these actions must first be completed_

_Otherwise we are doomed to fail._

_Fire must melt Sand_

_Water must capture Beast_

_Wind must intrigue Shadow_

_Earth must vex Manipulation_

_And Spirit must heal Sight_

_If the battle is won_

_These ladies will reign and be prosperous for many years._

_If not_

_Darkness will enslave the Earth_

_And all things good will disappear._

"Please tell me you understand," the soothsayer begged. The Hokage shook his head. The soothsayer could tell he was about to be dismissed, so he pleaded a second time, "Save this prophecy for a Hokage who will understand this. It is very important that this is saved. I can feel it will be important!"

The Hokage looked at the old man with pity. Seeing the desperateness in his eyes, he replied, "I will save it." The soothsayer smiled and went back to his home. That night he went to sleep. The next morning he did not wake up to hear that his prophecy had been sent to the archives.

**AN:** Please remember to review! Please don't flame.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Naruto. Mr. Kishimoto does. I just own the plot... and ten of the characters... which you're about to meet.

**_Part One: Wrong Turn_**

**Chapter One: "I Don't Think We're in Kansas Anymore"**

"WOOOH!!" Cordelia squealed at the top of her lungs. "Yeah! Road trip!"

Her four friends riding with her nodded their agreements to her statement. Roxanne rode shotgun, Winnifred sat in back along with Ronni and Lynne was driving. Cordelia sat in between Ronni and Fred in the small middle seat. Their black suburban was packed. They were staying at Lynne's vacation house for a month, no parents or grandparents. Just a month of hanging out with friends. They packed clothes, movies, video games, books, computers (laptops), iPods with headphones and iHomes, notebooks, food, hygienic supplies, and their cellphones. They had the annoying GPS plugged in, but couldn't really hear it over their booming stereo system blaring their iTunes.

They had been planning this for months, and now it was time and they couldn't be more excited. They had left after lunch, which was mid-afternoon. And now it was nearing time for dinner. They stopped quickly, wanting to get back on the road as soon as possible. Then they continued their journey. Their music was still blaring over the commands of the GPS.

When it started nearing two in the morning, they were obviously getting tired so they took a turn of the road they were on to find a place to stay the night. They couldn't possibly be too far from a town, right?

"Recalculating," the GPS said. They didn't hear it say anything else, so they figured that there was another way to get to the vacation house from this road. So they continued on the road for at least another hour, not hearing the GPS say anything the entire time. Then they grew worried. But they pushed that aside, pulled the car over, and slept in the car.

* * *

The next morning when they woke, they looked at their surroundings. They even stepped outside to check it out. They had no idea where they were. All they saw were fields, mountains, and a forest not far off. The road they were on was a gravel road, even though it felt like a paved road the night before. And last night, weren't they driving with fields on one side and a forest on the other? Where was that forest?

They checked behind the car, and it wasn't the landscape they remembered. It looked like off in the distance was mountains and rice fields. They were seriously confused as hell.

"Where are we?" Roxanne asked.

"Lost," Cordi replied sarcastically.

"Thanks for the input," Fred snarked, rolling her eyes at her younger friend.

"Weren't we on a paved road last night?" Lynne asked.

"Was that a rhetorical question?"Cordi asked.

"No, I was serious," Lynne replied in an angered tone.

"Well, I thought we were, but apparently not," Ronni answered.

Suddenly they spotted a man with a bag on his shoulders walking along the road. They quickly rushed over to him. He was old, about in his sixties.

"Excuse me, sir" Ronni piped, "We're kind of lost. Would you mind pointing us in the direction of a local town, or at least how to get back to the highway?"

The man looked slightly confused, but he replied. "Follow this road, and it will lead you to the closest village, which is just in those trees. But I have no idea what a highway is, I'm sorry."

The five girls' eyes widened at this. Who didn't know what a highway was? The man continued on his way, and the girls thanked him. They quickly jumped in their car, earning a weird look from the old man, and drove off. It took them five minutes to reach the village, but it wasn't really a village. It was a rather large town, almost city. And the road led them through big huge doors right to an opening of a ton of different little streets where people would be walking if they weren't busy staring at their car.

Lynne suddenly turned off her car and got out, her eyes huge as if she had seen this place before, but couldn't believe it. The other four quickly got out and started their normal pestering for information.

"Lynne, what is going on?" Cordi asked.

"Yeah, what's with all the people looking at us like we're some kind of alien race?" Fred asked.

"You guys don't recognize it?" Lynne asked incredulously.

Everyone looked around and Ronni shook her head. Then Roxanne gasped when she realized where they were.

"But this is impossible," Rox whispered to herself.

"What's impossible?" Ronni asked.

"We're in Konoha," Lynne and Rox explained.

"Holy shiznit!" Cordi exclaimed to herself seeing the resemblance in the setting of the cartoon and where they were currently.

"I agree," Fred added.

"I don't believe it," Ronni replied skeptically.

"Believe it," a man walking closer to the group said. He had spiky blond hair held in a black headband tied around his forehead with an iron plate and a swirly leaf engraved on it. His cerulean blue eyes were full of curiosity and a bit of arrogance. He wore an orange outfit that covered his muscular body.

The man looked at each girl, fully taking in their features. Cordi had stick straight long dirty blond hair with brown, almost black eyes. She wore a fitted forest green tank-top – accentuating her hourglass figure – flared blue jeans, and black flip-flops. Fred had chin length brown hair and sparkling green eyes. She wore a lime green t-shirt with a turtle print on it, a short blue jean skirt – showing off her skinny figure – and green flip-flops. Lynne, who also had a thin figure, wore a patterned thinly-fabricated tank, with shorts, and white flip-flops. She had flaming red hair down to her jaw that held the beach sort of wave and bright blue eyes, with small tinges of a golden brown ringing the pupils. Ronni was similar to Cordi, except her hair was a little bit darker and had the natural beach wave, and her eyes a little bit lighter. She also had an hour-glass figure, but she was thinner than Cordi. She wore a hot pink t-shirt, light, flared blue jeans, and black laced flats. Rox was similar to Fred in figure, but a little less thin and shorter. She had brown eyes with a slight tinge of red in them, and wavy brown, almost black, hair. She wore a purple fitted tank, ripped flared jeans, and black flip-flops. "Who the hell are you?"

"Is that really Naruto?" Lynne asked, eyes big and full of hope.

"How do you know my name?!" Naruto asked, obviously freaked.

"Oh, ha ha, it's long story," Fred laughed, covering for Lynne.

"Yeah, you probably wouldn't believe us if we told you," Cordi laughed nervously. Naruto looked like he wasn't buying it. "Anyway, I'm Cordelia, but please, call me Cordi. This is Winnifred, Fred for short. And this is my older sister, Roxanne, we sometimes call her Rox. And there's Lynne and that's Ronni, Fred's younger sister," Cordi quickly added, pointing everyone out. Each of them gave Naruto a winning smile, who only returned it with a quizzical look.

"You have such strange names, and weird machines," he stated, gesturing towards the car. He thought for a little bit and then said, "Please, come with me." And he led them towards the Hokage's house.

"I was wondering," Cordi started, "Is Lady Tsunade still in office?"

Naruto gave her a short glance, then turned and looked ahead. "Yes, she is."

"Awesome," Cordi smiled.

* * *

They had finally reached the Hokage's office after a trek that seemed to last forever. Naruto knocked on the door and they heard a female voice bark, "I thought I told everyone that I have a meeting today!"

"I know, Grandma Tsunade, but this is kinda urgent," Naruto explained.

There was silence for a little while and then they heard grumbling coming from beyond the door. "I swear, to Naruto, everything is a crisis!" the woman said. There was stifled laughter heard following, and it was deep and throaty.

Lady Tsunade wrenched open the door to find Naruto and a group of five girls standing behind him beaming at her. She furrowed her eyebrows and asked, "What's so important? You're interrupting my lunch meeting."

"May we come in?" Naruto asked, giving her a small charming smile.

Her eyes narrowed, but she let him in. She walked back to her desk and sat down, eyes closed as she turned to face them. Naruto and the girls quickly walked in so as not to waste anymore of her time. "This had better be VERY important," Tsunade warned.

"I believe it is. See these girls arrived here in a strange contraption. It's a box with wheels and …" Naruto started.

"That's called a carriage, Naruto. A lot of people have them," a deep, raspy male voice interrupted. The group of girls looked over and Cordi squealed after seeing a flash of red hair and light blue eyes surrounded by ebony lines.

"Oh my God! It's Gaara!" she squealed. She suddenly shoved her arm out to the other girls and ordered, "Someone, pinch me!" Everyone looked at her like she was crazy, except Ronni, who proceeded to pinch her – with her nails. "OW!!" she squealed. "What was that for?!" she asked wheeling on Ronni.

"Well, you said to pinch you," Ronni said shrugging.

"Yeah, but not that hard! Jeez! Now I'm gonna have a mark there for a week! You know how sensitive my skin is, damn it!" Cordi scolded. Everyone was still looking at her like she was crazy. "Oh, sorry. Please, continue." She said sweetly.

"Ok," Naruto said slowly. "But anyway! Their carriage wasn't pulled by anything. It was like, magic or something,"

Suddenly the girls were busting a gut laughing and everyone turned to them confused. "It's just a car, people," Lynne wheezed through her giggles. "It doesn't run on magic. It runs on gasoline."

The three ninjas quirked their eyebrows at the guffawing girls. "Yeah, carriages are so archaic," Fred supplied. "They haven't been used in how many years?"

"At least a hundred, I think," Ronni answered, serious as a train wreck. They finally calmed down and they each apologized for their interruption and let Naruto continue.

"Well, they also obviously know who we are, though I have never seen them before, have you?" Naruto asked. The other ninjas shook their heads.

Gaara took a menacing step forward, his blue robes rustling a little. "Well then, I guess you girls have some explaining to do," he stated, arms crossed making him adopt an intimidating demeanor. His stoic mask barely hid the emotion showing in his eyes, skepticism.

"Well, we told you that you wouldn't believe us," Fred reminded.

"Try me," he growled back. The other two looked at the group of girls, arms crossed and expectant.

"Ok, this is going to sound crazy, but where we are from, all of this is a TV show and a series of comics," Cordi explained quickly. The three ninjas looked confused. "Ha ha, told you," Cordi laughed.

"You're serious?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah," the girls said simultaneously.

"I have some of the episodes downloaded on my computer, but that's in my car," Lynne muttered.

"Well, I have a comic. I had it in my purse if I ever got bored during the trip," Rox supplied, pulling out a comic. "Here it is," she said handing Gaara the small book. Gaara started flipping through it quickly to make sure as she added, "I believe it should be the end of the chunnin exams."

Gaara nodded and asked, "But how is this possible?" They looked at the group of girls who just shrugged.

"We just took a wrong turn," Lynne replied. "That's all we can explain."

Naruto and Tsunade looked at Gaara disbelievingly. Gaara shrugged and stated, "It has Temari's and Shikamaru's fight down to the slightest detail." He handed the comic to Naruto who checked it out and nodded in agreement.

Naruto then proceeded to flip to the cover and laughed at the title. "It's named after me?" he wheezed.

"Well, yeah," Lynne replied. "You are the main character."

"So how much do you know about me?" Naruto asked, suddenly worried.

"Well, we know that you are a Jinchurriki, hosting the Nine-tailed Fox, who always seems to be annoyed with you. And when you ask him for chakra, he's like in a jail cell in a sewer or something like that with a seal on the door. You love ramen, especially Ichiraku's Ramen. You had the biggest crush on Sakura for the longest time, but that wasn't really much of a secret," Cordi listed. "What else? You were pretty big on pranks when you were younger and you invented sexy no jutsu." Gaara and Tsunade gave Naruto curious smirks and smiles. "Oh, and harem jutsu. Is that good enough?"

Naruto was blushing a little and muttered a "yeah". He looked at Cordi with a mischievous smirk and asked, "I'm your favorite character, aren't I?"

"No," Cordi replied. Then he looked crestfallen as she went on to say, "Actually Gaara's my fave." This made Gaara blush incredibly. "Sorry," she apologized. "But you're not my least favorite!" she smiled hopefully.

"What's this sexy no jutsu they were talking about?" Tsunade growled.

Naruto gave a nervous laugh as Ronni proceeded to say, "Oh, it's just a move that turns him into a girl. Why else do you think Jeraiyah took him under his wing?" Tsunade gave an astonished look to Naruto, who was blushing like crazy. Gaara snickered in the corner while the four other girls stared at Ronni.

"Ronni, do you know how wrong that sounded?" Fred asked.

Ronni thought for a second then blushed and said, "Sorry Naruto. That came out way more wrong than when I thought it."

"Ha ha, ri-ight," he laughed, shrugging it off to avoid the awkward glares coming from Tsunade.

She turned to the group of teenage girls and asked, "Do you know how to get back home?"

"Uhm," Fred started looking at the other girls, who were all shaking their heads. "No, I don't think we have the faintest idea how to get back. See our GPS stopped working once we reached this realm, so without it, especially here, we're kinda lost."

The ninjas looked confused. "What's a GPS?" Naruto asked.

"Global Positioning Satellite. You put in a destination and it tells you how to get there the fastest way possible and gives you directions and all that," Cordi explained. Gaara looked intrigued, Tsunade curious, and Naruto completely confused.

"Why don't you just use a map?" Naruto asked.

"Because using a GPS is easier. It's got a voice, so when I say it tells you the fastest way possible, it will actually tell you when to turn, when to turn around – which is sometimes annoying, -- and when you reached it if you've never been there before," Cordi explained. "And then there is always a possibility of having the map held the wrong way or something. And compasses can be confusing for some people. I've never used one, because I've always been able to tell which way was which without a little doodad telling me."

Then they noticed Lynne pull something out of her purse and hold it up victoriously. "This is a GPS. I put it in my purse after we found out it wasn't working here. Lemme see," she said as she tried to turn it on. A victorious grin spread on her face as the screen came on.

"Calculating," a robotic British woman said. It took Naruto a little time to realize it was coming from the small box Lynne held in her hand. "Calculating," it repeated. Lynne turned it off and finished with, "Since you don't have the satellite orbiting here, it won't work like it should. It won't be able to position us in order for it to tell us where to go."

"Here is the information that's bothering me," Gaara offered, stepping forward, "If you had this device, how did you get lost?"

"Well," Fred started, "When we got lost, it was around 2 to 3 o'clock in the morning. So we were obviously tired and took an exit off the highway to find a motel or something. That was when the GPS apparently went caput and we found ourselves here. But we didn't notice it for about another hour to an hour and a half. So we slept in the car and woke up in a land that was not familiar to us at all. So we asked a man for directions to the closest town and a way back to the highway. He told us he had no idea what a highway was and Konoha just happened to be the closest town."

"So yeah, we're very much lost," Roxanne stated to Tsunade, who was obviously debating something mentally.

"What are we going to do with them?" Naruto asked.

Tsunade frowned and stated, "Well, here's the issue with housing. Currently we only have enough room in our apartment district for four, considering that none of you have money in our currency. Am I correct?" The girls gave a solemn nod. "But the fifth girl, I have no idea what to do with."

It was really silent for a little while, the kind that was really awkward, shifting and all. Cordi then set a stubborn glare and turned to Gaara. "I don't mean to impose, but there might be something you could do, Gaara. What, being Kazekage and all," she stated.

Gaara pursed his lips at the indignant girl. Naruto was about to say something when Gaara suddenly said, "Actually, my siblings and I have been looking for a new person to help around the house. We'd provide free room and board." He smiled, thinking none of them would go for something like that.

Roxanne looked to her best friends and said, "Huddle." And they got together quickly and discussed their options.

After about five minutes, Cordi stepped forward and said, "Fine." Everyone was flabbergasted.

"Cordi, that wasn't what we agreed on!" Fred shrieked.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Cordi replied.

"So you're going to break up the group when we had a plan?" Roxanne asked.

"The plans were not going to work and deep down you all knew it," Cordi explained.

They were silent for a little while until Ronni asked, "So you're just going to leave us?"

"Everyone has to make some sort of sacrifice sometime," Cordi said solemnly.

"But you've already made them," Ronni said quietly.

Cordi frowned and said, "I've made up my mind. I'll send letters and come by to visit. It's not the end of the world." Ronni walked up and gave her a teary hug.

"We'll miss you, a lot!" Ronni said, the others sniffling in agreement.

"I'll miss you too." Cordi said. She then walked up to Gaara and asked, "So when do we leave?"

Gaara had the most confused face that he was obviously trying to hide. "We have a month. The finals of the Chuunin exams begin the fifth of July," Gaara said steadily.

Then all the girls straightened. "So, we have time?" Lynne asked hopefully. Gaara gave them a nod with a look that was kinda surprised they didn't see the obvious.

"But, she'll be staying with my brother, sister, and I in our hotel. Is that all right?" Gaara asked.

"Yeah!" the girls said simultaneously.

"Good," Tsunade said, smiling. "Now that that's settled, why don't you join us for lunch?"

"Sure," the girls cheered simultaneously again.

"Come with me," Tsunade directed the group, walking out of her office and down towards the dining hall. Everyone sat down, Tsunade at the head, Gaara to her right, and Naruto next to him. On her left sat Cordi, then Ronni, then Lynne. Then at the other head was Rox, and in between her and Naruto was Fred. The group was served plates of Lo Mein, Fried Rice, White Rice, Spring Rolls, General Tso's Chicken, and Sweet and Sour Pork. Everyone was given chopsticks, which everyone except Ronni and Fred happily split.

Ronni and her sister Fred stared dumbly at the weird pieces of wood next to their plates. "Is there something wrong?" Tsunade asked, while dishing herself a spring roll and some chicken.

"No, everything looks great, it's just," Fred started. "Uh, how do I put it?"

"We don't know how to use chopsticks," Ronni stated. Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the comment. Gaara looked perplexed at simply the idea of what she said.

"That's a joke right?" Naruto laughed. Ronni and Fred shook their heads.

"You guys never practiced at Chinese restaurants?" Rox asked, quirking an eyebrow at her friends.

They shook their heads. "We liked using our forks and knives, so we wouldn't make a mess trying to learn how," Fred answered.

"Well, you might as well learn now!" Lynne smiled. "I mean, that's basically all your going to be eating with from now on. So, Bon Appétit!" Lynne, still smiling, lifted her chopsticks, which skillfully held a huge clump of fried rice, to her mouth, while Ronni and Fred glared with envy at the talent Lynne had been blessed with.

Ronni and Fred grimaced as they picked up the little sticks and split them. "So, how old are all of you?" Tsunade asked, changing the subject as Ronni and Fred tried to pick up food, but failed miserably.

"Well, I'm seventeen, but I'll turn eighteen in October," Cordi started, picking up some lo mein.

"I'm eighteen, soon to be nineteen in September," Rox smiled, holding her cup.

"And I just turned eighteen," Ronni stated, trying again for a bite, but again failing.

"I just turned nineteen," Lynne laughed.

"As did I, but that was several months ago," Fred smiled, until her rice fell through the sticks again. Naruto snickered, which received a swift glare from Fred.

The rest of the lunch's entertainment was provided by the chopstick-challenged sisters. Ronni tried as hard as she could to hold the sticks in her hands, but every time they twisted and fell onto her plate of Lo Mein. Fred was similar. She would manage to get one grain of white rice in between her two sticks, but then they would twist so the grain would fall. Or if it was chicken, it tended to fall, but causing a big splash from the sauce that covered it. Needless to say, they didn't eat much that meal.

**AN:** Well, there is chapter one! I hope you liked it! Please review! I love feedback! But don't flame me. I don't take too kindly to flames.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Yet again, I do not own Naruto. Kishimoto does. I just own the plot and the unrecognizable characters.

**Chapter Two: Stones From The Sky**

Cordi walked off with Gaara to see the way to where they were staying. It was a very quiet walk. The only noise being made was the rustle of his robes, her jeans, and their footsteps. They made a quick stop at the car, which the local villagers were still admiring.

"I should be done quickly," Cordi offered, opening the car to pull her stuff out. She grabbed her bag full of a month's worth of clothes, her purse, and her back-pack which contained a couple DVDs, her laptop, her iPod, and headphones. Needless to say, it was a little too heavy for her, but she refused to show it. "K, let's go," she grunted.

Gaara gave her a strange look and asked, "Do you need any help?"

Cordi smiled and said, "Yes, please." She suddenly saw sand appear around her, and the pressure from holding the clothes bag was lifted. She let it go and started walking with the Kazekage to his suite, her bag floating beside them.

* * *

"You called for me?" a bored tone asked as he entered Tsunade's office. Roxanne's face lit up like a Christmas tree after hearing it. She didn't even need to turn around to know it was Shikamaru. Even though she was really excited, she was able to stifle a squeal. He wore his usual all black with a green vest over it. He had his black hair tied back in the usual pineapple ponytail. His brown eyes held boredom and annoyance in their gaze, as his eyebrows showed his obvious indifference.

"Yes. I set up several rooms in the apartment complex near your house for these four girls. Could you help them get there?" Tsunade asked.

He looked at the four girls who were smiling at him hopefully. He raised his eyebrows and let out a small pout. Obviously, this was a "drag."

"Fine," he replied showing the girls out. "How troublesome," he muttered. Roxanne had to strain her ears just to hear it. When they reached the outside of the Hokage building, they were met with Temari.

"So, what's going on, Pighead?" Temari asked Shikamaru. "Who are they?"

"Well, apparently they are new and I have no idea who they are, but I have to show them where the Hokage set their rooms up," Shikimaru explained. Temari looked confused.

"So, you must be Temari," Ronni offered. Temari still looked confused. "It's a pleasure." Ronni reached out and grabbed her hand to shake it.

"You know, Ronni, we really need to teach you how to talk to people without creeping them out," Fred stated in a bored tone. Ronni let go of her hand and stepped back.

"Uhm, if you don't mind me asking," Shikamaru started, "how do you know her?"

Fred smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "That's a story for another time maybe, Shikamaru," she said, making the poor Nara don a confused look. "Shall we?" she asked, offering him the lead. And he took it, but he was still confused and was determined to remedy that.

* * *

When Temari arrived at the suite that night, she had to tell her brothers about the strange girl Ronni who knew her without even being introduced.

"I had the strangest thing just happen to me," Temari said, setting her fan down next to the counter. Gaara sat at the table with Kankuro, who was working on Kurasu. Gaara was looking at the local newspaper. "'Oh, really? What could it be?'" Temari mimicked. They were still silent. "You know, you could just act interested," she scolded.

"I think I have a pretty good idea what it is," Gaara stated, completely nonplussed by her enthusiasm. Temari looked confused.

"Oh, really?" she asked doubtfully.

"Yes," Gaara answered in a tired tone.

"I'd believe him if I were you," Kankuro stated, also nonplussed by her enthusiasm.

"Why?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Suddenly, Cordi stepped into the room from the kitchen, holding a delicious looking meal in her hands. She saw Temari and smiled. "Oh, hey there, Temari. You're just in time for dinner. Go ahead and grab a seat," Cordi offered as she set the food on the table. Kankuro went to have a taste until Cordi gripped with her left and slapped his hand away using her right with lightning speed. "Wait until I grab the silverware and plates. And please put your puppet away." With that, she walked out.

"Yes, Mother," Kankuro said sarcastically and put Kurasu on the floor next to his chair.

Temari was super-confused. All she could do was point and say, "Eh?"

"She's the new house-keeper," Kankuro stated, slightly annoyed.

"But who is she?" Temari managed.

"She's a girl from another dimension. In that dimension, this one is a TV show and a comic book. She was with four others. Apparently, they were on a road trip and got lost," Gaara explained.

"Haha," Temari laughed, "How can you believe a story as outlandish as that?"

"Here," Cordi said, handing Temari a comic book. She started setting down the plates and silverware as Temari flipped through the small book.

"This is…," Temari started.

"As unbelievable as automotive vehicles?" Cordi finished.

"What are those?" Temari asked.

"You didn't hear about or see the strange metal carriage in the village square?" Kankuro asked.

"I did hear something like that around the town," Temari stated taking a seat, "But I didn't believe it."

"Well, as Naruto says, 'Believe it!'" Cordi replied. "My name is Cordelia Turner, but please, call me Cordi." Then she sat down to help dish out the food.

* * *

The next day, the five girls met up in the village square and hung out. They explored until their legs were tired and collapsed in a field. They sat in a circle laughing and talking when all of a sudden, they heard a whistling. They looked in the direction it was coming from, which was up, and saw five things falling from the sky towards them. They all quickly jumped out of the way, and the things landed exactly where they were sitting. One in each spot.

They cautiously approached the objects and looked at them. They were very colorful stones. A ruby red one sat in Cordi's spot, a sapphire blue one in Ronni's, an amethyst purple one in Roxanne's, an emerald green one in Fred's, and a diamond white one in Lynne's. Cordi put her hand on the stone when it suddenly cracked. And a ruby bat-like wing popped out. There were more cracks erupting from the others, until all that stood in front of them were what could be considered baby dragons. Each one looking at the person whose spot they took. Each of the girls suddenly felt an enormous power rush through them.

The next thing they knew, they each woke up during sunset with their baby dragons sleeping on them, slightly bigger than the last time they saw them. Rox was the first to wake up. She looked at her beautiful purple dragon. It had feathered wings with silver tips on the feathers. The scales were purple, but the spinal spikes were silver. Its four legs looked like hawk talons and its tail was long, but at the end, there was a fan of purple and silver feathers, like the wings.

The second to come to was Lynne. Hers had no wings but had a long body, a lot like an Asian dragon. It had small whiskers and a small goatee. Down its spine, it had a line of fur that was tinged gray. Otherwise, it was completely white, except for the brown antlers, which were just little nubs now. It had short arms and small paws.

The third was Ronni. Her dragon was basically a miniature Lochness monster. It was royal blue with webbed feet and had big, bat-like wings attached to its back, showing its ability for flight. It had a long neck and gills under its chin. It also had nostrils, showing that it didn't need to be in water. It had a small gem on its forehead which was a shiny light blue.

Then Fred woke up. Hers had leathery green wings tinged with brown. It had a long pointed snout and small brown antlers. It had brown spinal spikes and green scales. Its tail was long, but had an end that looked heavy and fitting to be a sledge hammer. It had normal lizard-like feet.

Cordi's was similar except it was red with black tinges. The tail also didn't have a special end, just pointed. It didn't have any antlers, just a black gem in the middle of its forehead. The snout was also a little shorter and a bit more rounded. It was the smallest in the group.

The dragons stared at each of the girls they were laying on, small smiles on their snouts. Now what were they going to do?

**AN:** Yeah, I know, it's kinda short... ok, compared to the last chapter it's a lot short. Sorry. Please remember to review, and not to flame. Thanks!


	4. Chapter 3

**AN:** Hey. Shout out to reviewers. I'll try and reply to all of you. So far, I only have one though -.-

Nightshadegirl: Thanks for your review! You have obviously already met the girls, but I have a feeling you'll be interested in what happens to them! ^.^

**Disclaimer:** I obviously don't own Naruto. Mr. Kishimoto does. I only own the five girls and their dragons! Yay me!

**Chapter Three: The Legend**

"Well, we have to tell someone," Fred reasoned.

"What are we going to tell them? While we were walking through the forest, these stones tried to kill us, but they weren't actually stones, they just happened to be dragon eggs? So now we own dragons?! No!" Roxanne explained.

"Well, what are we going to do?" Fred asked.

"Shut up!" Cordi yelled. Everyone turned to look at her, even the dragons, who seemed to be flying around playing tag. "We can just keep them hidden. When they grow too big, we simply hide them in a local forest, and considering this place is surrounded by forests, it doesn't look like it will be that hard. We just need to make sure it's a forest that no one goes into."

Everyone nodded in agreement, except for the dragons, who continued their game, Ronni's, though, was starting to tire and landed. "So, while we're hiding them in our rooms, keep eyes and ears open for forests no one goes into," Lynne explained. Then Lynne looked at Ronni's dragon and stated, "You might want to put that one in water. It looks like a beached whale." It did, too. It looked like it was about to pass out or something.

Ronni nodded and quickly left with her dragon.

"Well, we should leave too. I need to hide my dragon before Gaara and the rest of the Subakus return," Cordi replied. She whistled for the dragons to look at her and started walking away. Her dragon quickly hurried beside her.

The rest of the group also decided to return to their homes.

* * *

Ronni quickly went to the bathtub and lifted her hands to turn the taps on. But before her hand reached the knobs, the faucet started to run. Confused by this, she immediately cocked her head. She may be a little moronic at times, but she was pretty sure this was not normal. She quickly ran to grab her dragon and placed it in the water. Suddenly, it looked alive again. Its big blue eyes gleamed up at her. It looked so cute! It swam happily in the small tub.

Ronni smiled at it. "Now, what should we call you? Well first I need to know if you are a girl or a boy," she contemplated. Suddenly the color pink flashed through her mind. That confused her, because she wasn't even thinking of colors.

Suddenly she heard it growling, which worried her, until she saw its face. Its eyes were screwed up in a concentrated look. "Gggggrrrrrrrr – rrrrrllll. Grl, gur – rill," it seemed to growl.

"Girl?" Ronni asked. It nodded in return. Ronni smiled, "Well, in that case, how about Nessie? You kind of look like the Lochness Monster. What do you think?" It seemed to give a polite smile, which was kind of scary, and nodded its approval. "Alright then Nessie."

Suddenly, Ronni noticed how wet the front of her legs felt. She looked down and saw she was in a huge puddle of water. "SHIT!" she yelled as she tried to turn the faucet off. But they wouldn't turn. Then she remembered that she hadn't turned them on. The faucet had turned on by itself. She was freaking out about how to turn off the water while more of it spilled onto the floor, flooding the apartment. Nessie jumped out of the tub and used the apartment floor as a slip n' slide.

She unplugged the drain of the bathtub, letting some water flow away, but it was still over flowing. Scared at what might happen if the apartment kept flooding, she started to cry. "I want this to stop! Please stop! Just STOP!!!" she screamed.

She felt Nessie nudging her leg, and she turned her teary brown eyes toward her little dragon. Then she heard the bathtub empty and noticed the faucet was no longer running. She looked at Nessie and asked, "Did you do that?" It shook its head innocently and pointed a webbed claw towards her. "I did this?" she asked. Nessie nodded. Ronni laughed and said, "That's not possible." Suddenly a picture of a faucet running flashed through her mind, and she took a hint.

Ronni looked at the bathtub faucet and thought of water running from it, and it happened. "Stop," she commanded and the water stopped. Surprised by this turn of events she laughed and said, "You have got to be kidding me."

* * *

As soon as Cordi got to her room, she went to find a place for her dragon to hide. Quickly she placed it on her bed and held up both hands toward it and said, "Stay here!" It nodded in reply and curled up on the bed. Cordi turned back to go to the kitchen to start making dinner. She went to turn on the gas burner for the stove, but the entire stove top burst into flames.

This made Cordi scream. She quickly found a small towel and started to fan it, trying to blow it out. But that only made it spread over to the counters. "Oh, crap, crap, CRAP!!!" she squealed. Suddenly she heard the smoke alarms go off, and she now felt like a total loser. All she was trying to do was turn the stove on. Today was just not her day.

Suddenly she saw Gaara bust through the door and she quickly ordered, "Use your sand to smother it!"

"What?" he asked. He couldn't understand half of what she said due to the roar of the fire.

"YOUR SAND!!! SMOTHER IT WITH YOUR SAND!!!!" she yelled. He understood this time, and threw up a hand spraying sand all over the stove and counter top. This did make the fire die out.

"What the hell happened?" he asked her confused.

She held up both her hands and said, "I don't know." Then she noticed in each hand, she held a fireball. Her eyes got really wide, and she started screaming again. She was about to try and shake them off her hands when Gaara grabbed her wrists and dragged her over to the sink, turned it on and ran her hands under it. Suddenly the kitchen was smoky again.

"I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

Gaara laughed a little and said, "Whatever you do, don't lift your hands again." They looked around at the charred and smoky kitchen.

"Oh, now I have to clean up this huge mess," she groaned.

Gaara looked at her and said, "You know, I wasn't serious about the house keeping thing."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better," she sobbed.

"Actually, no I'm not. I'm sure this hotel has a cleaning crew. They'll clean it up later. Come on, let's find Temari and Kankuro, and grab some ramen. What do you think of that?" Gaara asked.

She nodded and sobbed an "Ok."

On the way out, Gaara stopped by the reception desk. "We had a fire in our kitchen." He stated bluntly. The woman sitting at the desk gasped with wide eyes and leapt up.

"I'm sorry, we'll get on that right away Lord Kazekage." She bowed slightly then ran through a door behind the desk, supposedly to round up some of the hotel cleaning staff.

"There, all taken care of." Gaara said and walked out of the hotel, Cordi trailing behind.

* * *

Roxanne got back to her apartment and shut the door right behind her. Today had been a very trying day. She let out a sigh, but as soon as she let it out, a huge wind erupted from somewhere and wrecked her apartment. Chairs were tossed and papers flew. She looked confused as she held her breath and everything fell in chaotic places. She sucked in her breath in a gasp and everything flew back at her. She squealed and dodged as best as she could.

Meanwhile her dragon was making a weird sound. When she looked at it, she saw it clutching its stomach with its fore legs and pointing a wing at her, rolling around in the air. Rox got the distinct impression that he was laughing at her. Not just chuckling, but guffawing, wheezing and all. Her eyes narrowed at the little dragon and she growled, "Shut up."

She walked back to her bedroom to relax a bit. Once the dragon calmed down a bit, it joined her, giving her one of the most innocent looks she had ever seen. "I have to give you a name," she stated. The dragon nodded. "Well what are you a boy or a girl?"

"Boy," it said in a high-pitched rough voice. Roxanne's eyes went wide.

"You can talk?" she asked in a surprised voice. He nodded.

"Name?" he reminded.

"Oh, yeah, right. Well, lemme look at you," she said. He flew around, showing off a little in his modeling. "Ah-HA! I got it. I will call you Gryffin." The dragon smiled a toothy smile at the name, which was sort of scary.

* * *

After leaving her dragon at her apartment, Lynne went out for some ramen at Ichiraku's. Her dragon had fallen asleep right as its head hit the bed. Once she arrived at the restaurant she found the Subakus and Cordi sitting at the bar.

"Hey, what's up guys?" Lynne asked the group.

Cordi turned around faster than anyone else in the group and said, "Lynne! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was going to get some ramen, but I don't want to impose," she replied, about to turn around and leave.

"No, stay," Cordi offered. "It's ok if she joins us, right guys?" She turned towards the Subakus who looked like they didn't care. Kankuro wasn't even looking at them, Temari looked skeptical, and Gaara just shrugged indifferently. "There's a seat on the other side of Kankuro," Cordi offered. So now the seating order from left to right looked Temari, Gaara, Cordi, Kankuro, and Lynne.

They each ordered their ramen and started to eat. It was quiet until Lynne heard Kankuro say, "I don't understand why Gaara is putting up with these girls. They're just a big group of moochers."

"Excuse me?!" she asked him, clearly disturbed by what he said. Here they were, without anything but their belongings and a basic knowledge of the lands. She couldn't believe Kankuro had the audacity to say that they were moochers! Well, they were kind of, but not by choice. They had no home and no money. What were they supposed to do, sit out on the streets and beg?

Now everyone was giving her a confused stare. Kankuro was the most confused. "Lynne, no one said anything," Cordi said, a little concerned.

"Yes, Kankuro said that we were a bunch of moochers," Lynne explained. Everyone was even more confused.

"How the HELL does she know that?" Kankuro asked.

"What do you mean how did I know that?! You said it and I'm not frickin' deaf!" Lynne replied. Kankuro looked way more confused and kind of scared.

Temari was starting to look pissed. "She shouldn't be blaming my brother. Or I will throttle her," Temari said, her teeth grinding. Lynne ignored it as everyone else did.

"I'm sorry," Cordi apologized to the Subakus for Lynne. "Please, excuse us for a little bit." She got up and smiled a passive aggressive smile to Lynne who shuddered. She didn't move from her spot. "Come, Lynne," Cordi ordered, holding her smile. This made Kankuro shudder. Her smile was almost as creepy as Gaara's old smile. Lynne, looking worriedly towards Cordi, nodded and followed her.

Once they were a safe distance, Kankuro quickly leaned in to Gaara and said, "We should leave them." Gaara shot a non-existent eyebrow up at him. "Look, Cordi burned down the kitchen and her friend is blaming me for something I didn't do. Look let's just ditch them."

Gaara glared at him slightly and growled, "The kitchen fire was an accident. Trust me, I was there." He paused and a contemplative look settled amongst his features. "Her friend is a different story, but I think I know what might be going on."

Kankuro was just about to ask 'what?' when they heard screeching coming from a nearby alley. "OH MY GOD LYNNE!!!! WHAT THE _HELL_ IS THE MATTER WITH YOU!?!?! DID YOU FORGET TO TAKE YOUR MEDS OR SOMETHING, OR HAVE YOU JUST COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MIND!?!?!" Cordi obviously screeched.

"No wonder Lynne looked afraid to leave with Cordi," Kankuro snickered. "She sounds like a fucking Banshee when she's pissed. Temper, temper." He laughed.

"Shut up, Kankuro," Gaara hissed, obviously trying to listen in. Kankuro quickly stifled his laughter and listened to the conversation his brother was trying to eavesdrop on.

"Lynne, I'm going to resist the extreme urge I have to beat you with blunt objects before I hear your side of the story. Other than the obvious story of course," Cordi informed in a menacing growl.

"Fine. I was eating my ramen when I heard Kankuro say that we, as in you, me, Rox, Fred, and Ronni, were just a bunch of moochers and had no idea why Gaara was wasting his time with us. No, it's not ridiculous, quit trying to interrupt me!" Lynne scolded.

"I wasn't …" Cordi denied.

"Anyway, when I called him on it you guys were giving me funny looks. Then I distinctly heard him ask how the hell I knew it. And I replied that I wasn't deaf. And that's when you dragged me out here," Lynne explained. Cordi looked at her, and she replied, "Could you talk slower? I'm not getting half of what you're saying."

Then everything was quiet for a little, and then they heard Lynne ask in a slightly sarcastic voice, "You want me to tell you that you think I'm Psychic?" Pause. "And that you want to test it by telling you the exact number you're thinking of?" Pause. Gaara was really confused until he understood that they were only getting half of the conversation now. "5,683,492.7516239485," Lynne replied. Then it was really silent as both of the girls realized something. "HOLY SHIT! Are you serious?! Wait, am I the only one of us who got a special power?" Then there was silence for a little while. During this time, Gaara proceeded to slap Kankuro on the head, and Temari just scowled at him. Then Lynne was laughing hysterically and howled, "You did what?! Oh my God, you have to tell that to the others! Wait, if we got powers, then the others…?" She didn't finish her question. Cordi probably finished it for her. "Well, we'll find out tomorrow. This is exciting," she squealed and clapped her hands. "Hey, we should probably return, shouldn't we? I think Kanky was thinking about running off and leaving us."

"Yeah, we should," Cordi replied. And they returned to the ramen bar, with smiles on their faces. They both gave Kankuro an evil smile that told him he would pay.

Kankuro smiled nonchalantly back and stated, "You know, Cordi, when you yell at someone, you sound an awful lot like a banshee."

Suddenly, Cordi donned a confused face and turned towards Gaara and Temari and asked, "Is it alright if I slap your brother?"

"Sure," Gaara replied.

"By all means," Temari replied dead-pan. Lynn was already cringing, ready for the damage.

Cordi was so fast, they could barely see the movement. She just turned around fast, and as she turned, she stuck her arm out and held it limp. Then it contacted with Kankuro's face with a loud resounding smack, and he was air-born into the wall on the other side of the street.

"Yeah, that's at least a five hour," Lynne murmured. Gaara looked intrigued, and Temari looked flabbergasted.

"What the heck? Did you use chakra?!" Temari gasped.

"No, I have no idea how to use that. We don't really have chakra in our world. No, that's just what I call, the CORRECT way to slap someone," Cordi replied eyeing her work proudly. Both Gaara and Temari looked confused still. "Ok, instead of just using my forearm, restricting my follow through, I put my entire body into it and let the momentum of a limp hand do all the work. I found it's less tiring and longer lasting."

"But don't you have to have arm strength?" Gaara asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Without it, it can't be too harsh, can it?"

"No, I don't have any strength in either of my arms. The longest lasting slap I gave to my brother and the sting lasted five to six hours. Look at my arm muscles." Cordi held up her arms which were thin. "Twigs. The thing is, since I put my entire body into the movement, the momentum speeds up my arms, creating a heavier force. It's almost as if my arm is acting like a whip, or as my sister says, 'a wet noodle.'"

"Oh, you have a brother and a sister? Who's the oldest and such?" Temari asked, turning the group back to their meals, except for Kankuro who was still trying to gather his wits and detach himself from the wall, with very little success.

"Uhm, my brother is the oldest, three years older than me, and my sister is one year older than me. So yeah, youngest," Cordi said slightly embarrassed pointing to herself. "Actually, I do believe you have met my sister, Roxanne. She's the one with long dark brown, almost black hair."

"Oh, yeah, I remember her. So was she chaperoning you guys or what?" Temari asked, because she had heard that they were on a trip when they got lost.

"No, Ronni and I just graduated high school," Cordi explained. "So we all decided to celebrate by going to the beach for a month. Lynne, Rox, and Fred all graduated last year and wanted to train us in the way of college life, which doesn't look like it's going to be much help now," Cordi muttered.

Everyone gave an awkward nod in reply. They all finished their meals quickly with no interruption. Then the Subakus and Cordi said their goodbyes to Lynne and left for their hotel.

* * *

The next day the group met again in the same field as the day before, dragons in tow. Somehow, the dragons had learned to speak over-night and would not shut up. "So, has everyone already figured out names for their dragons?" Fred asked over the dragons' incessant chatter. Everyone else nodded.

"This is Nessie, you know, like the Lochness Monster, cuz she kinda looks like it," Ronni stated. The miniature look-a-like of the said monster looked up at the five the girls and smiled slightly before continuing her conversation with Lynne's dragon.

"Mine is Saryu," Lynne stated. Fred quirked an eyebrow at her. "I think it's a cool name."

"That's Aleera. It means Eagle in Latin," Cordi replied pointing to her ruby dragon who ignored all the girls, too engrossed in a quiet argument with Rox's dragon.

"See, mine's not the only one with a weird name!" Lynne justified. Fred shrugged.

"He," Rox indicated the purple dragon with feathery wings before continuing, " is called Gryffin, because let's face it, he looks like a purple griffin."

"Well, I figured a good name for mine was Cherokee, considering our family is of Cherokee descent," Fred stated, gesturing towards her and Ronni.

"Now, I have a question," Cordi stated. Everyone looked towards her as she stated, "Lynne and I experienced something strange last night. She was able to read minds, and I was able to create fire. Did something like this happen to anyone else?"

"Yeah, I found out I was able to control water last night when I accidentally flooded the apartment," Ronni stated. Lynne tried to contain small giggle at the statement, to no avail.

"Me, too. When I got back last night, I sighed, and everything in my apartment went flying as if they were in a wind tunnel," Roxanne added.

"What about you?" Lynne asked Fred.

"Well, where-ever I go, flowers seem to sprout. For example, look at what I'm sitting on," Fred stated. Everyone looked and saw she was sitting on a flowerbed that wasn't there when they sat down. "It makes me feel like one of those stupid happy-go-lucky wood nymphs."

"So, Fire," Cordi said pointing to herself, "Water," to Ronni, "Wind," to Roxanne, "Earth," to Fred, "and Spirit I'm guessing," to Lynne.

"What, are we like Elementals?" Roxanne asked.

"That's the most likely possibility," Fred replied. "But how did we get these powers?" The group of girls shook their heads, not knowing the answer either.

"You were born with them," Nessie replied in a sweet voice.

"I think we would have noticed that by now," Cordi laughed.

"No, we had to awaken them," Aleera replied in a smart voice. The other dragons nodded in agreement.

"You've always had them," Saryu added. "Your energy when you entered this realm was what attracted us to you. Kind of like metal to magnets. And when we did, we hatched and awakened your powers."

"You mean we had a specific energy that you have been searching for?" Lynne asked. "How long have you been searching?"

"Oh, I don't think one of us knows how long it's been. Dragons died out around the time dinosaurs did apparently," Gryffin explained. "We were the last eggs lain and the only survivors of our race. We've been searching ever since then."

"Why?" Ronni asked.

"Well, we needed to find maternal beings, females, who had either as much strength as or more strength than a dragon. And they had to be very strong. This is because we needed someone to respect as a mother, and only one with a considerable amount of strength could do that," Cherokee answered.

"Another fine example of 'with power comes responsibility,'" Cordi scoffed.

"So, how do we have this strength?" Fred asked. All the dragons seemed to shrug their replies. "Huh, so you guys have no idea."

"We were kind of hoping you could tell us," Aleera answered. "I mean, you aren't even of our species, yet you have our strength. And humans, from what I've heard through my shell, are a pretty fragile race."

"HEY!!!" Roxanne snapped indignantly.

"They have a point," Lynne stated. "Average humans are significantly weaker than dragons. I guess this is a mystery we'll all have to figure out ourselves." Everyone nodded a reply and the group split again to head back to their new homes.

**AN:** Hey, thanks again for reading! Don't forget to review!


	5. Chapter 4

**AN:** Kudomeya~ Thanks so much. Yeah, I had a fun time choosing names for them. Just wait till you see the shenanigans they get into.

And to Muna Luna Beth and Allora, fanofanime, randomgirl110, Nightshadegirl, and redtippedquill, special thanks for adding this story to your favorites or putting my story on your Alert list.

And I'm a giddy over the fact that it's only been three days, and over 100 views! This is awesome! Thank you everyone who is reading this and has contributed to this amazing feat.

**Disclaimer:** Yet again, I state the fact that I do not own Naruto nor its characters. I just own the five girls that are obviously my characters… well kind of. I have a feeling that my friends would pummel me if I said I owned them completely. Yeah, I don't own my friends… that would be just wrong.

**Chapter Four: Independence Day**

Roxanne woke up the next morning with something heavy on her stomach. She opened her eyes to see Gryffin, the size of a Chow Chow grinning victoriously with a rat clenched between his teeth. He dropped the bloody carcass on her stomach and provided innocently, "I got breakfast."

Trying to keep the previous night's dinner in its place, she replied, "You can have it. I'll make myself toast."

* * *

A month had passed quickly, they could hardly believe it. They started feeling the pain of missing their family and other friends back at home after a couple days within getting there. But there wasn't much they could do. After two weeks of living there, they put the dragons in the Forest of Death. Gaara accidentally let it slip that no one went in there except during the genin's second exams to become chuunins. At that time, they had grown to the size of a healthy Clydesdale.

They had seen them once a day after that, and the dragons made sure that nothing like giant snakes got them. The girls taught their dragons morals and basic courtesy, and the dragons taught the girls the basics of using their powers in return. The dragons had a ton of animals to hunt for, so the girls didn't seem suspicious by buying lots of meat.

Fred's head popped off her pillow, smiling at the new day. It was beautiful, and it was the Fourth of July. She quickly jumped off her bed and dressed in her festive red jacket, white tank top, and blue jeans. She put red, white, and blue make-up on and greeted her friends in the apartment hall who wore similar clothes.

Rox dressed in a red long sleeve, off-the-shoulder t-shirt, a white tank-top under it, and blue jean shorts. Ronni wore a white t-shirt with a print of golden retriever puppies on it standing in front of an American flag, along with jeans. Lynne wore what could be considered a relatively traditional patriotic outfit. She wore a thin white chemise, a vibrant red corset, and blue skinny jeans. Each had matching make-up. Ronni even had face paint. They then set off for the hotel.

* * *

Cordi walked out of her room to the cleaner-than-last-time kitchen. Gaara and Kankuro sat at the table eating the breakfast that Temari made for them. Today, it looked as if the food would not be toxic, which was a good omen for the rest of the day. Gaara and Kankuro looked up at her and donned confused looks at her get-up. Kankuro put down the chopsticks holding the dumpling he was about to put in his open mouth.

"Uhm," Kankuro started.

Temari stepped in front of her with a confused face, pointed at Cordi's clothes, and asked, "What … Darling what is this? What is this random splash of color for?"

Cordi was wearing a shirt that had a blue painted stripe along the front with white stars in it, and red and white stripes parallel to the blue one, going diagonally down from her left shoulder to her right hip, and worn blue jeans. In the white stripe between the red stripes, it read, "God Bless America." She had her hair tied back in a red, white, and blue ribbon. She wore red, white, and blue make up, and face painted cheek streaks.

"It's the Fourth of July," Cordi stated, walking forward and grabbing some bacon and a dumpling, along with a pair of chopsticks to eat. She set her plate down and turned her back to them to walk to the counter for some coffee.

The back of her shirt read, "12-7-1941 9-11-2001," at the top. Then the middle had a picture of two firefighters in a bunch of rubble raising a flag. And at the bottom it said, "We will never forget."

"You're not actually wearing that to the festival today, are you?" Kankuro asked. Gaara wasn't even curious about that. He was too busy pondering what they would never forget.

"Yes, I am!" she replied proudly, setting her coffee on the table and starting to dig in.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it," Gaara grumbled. He opened the door to see four girls dressed similarly to Cordi. "Why are all of you wearing the same thing?" he asked, his face skeptical.

"Didn't Cordi tell you?" Ronni asked. Temari, who could be seen just behind Gaara in the doorway, shook her head. Gaara just scowled. "It's the Fourth of July!" She replied cheerily.

"We know that much," Kankuro grumbled, eyes narrowed in annoyance. His brother had removed himself from the doorway, so Kankuro was now able to see the rest of the group. Ronni, Rox, and Lynne he had seen, but Fred he had only heard of. He gave her a once over, memorizing her womanly features. She was very pretty, he had to give her that. But the vivid green in her eyes was what caught him the most. They were like sparkling emeralds set on a pale face surrounded by dark brown hair. Those eyes, he felt he could stare at them forever. He nodded to her, eyebrows raised slightly, showing he obviously liked what he saw. Then he gained a slightly guilty face and turned back to his meal.

Fred wasn't one to not notice when a guy was checking her out. She smirked at the poor puppet master. Then followed the other girls into the kitchen.

"Happy Independence Day guys," Cordi said to the girls before putting a dumpling in her mouth.

"Right back at you!" Lynne said happily.

"What's Independence Day?" Temari asked, her face contorted in confusion.

"Our nation's birthday," Roxanne stated quickly. "We celebrate what happened July 4, 1776, every year."

"What happened?" Kankuro asked, face riddled with curiosity and anticipation. Gaara kept his usual scowl, and Temari took a seat to hear the story.

"Well, after the French and Indian War, otherwise known as the Seven Years War, England or Great Britain, same difference really, I guess, was in debt for the extreme cost of it. So they taxed the colonies to pay off, but the taxes started to get ridiculous because they didn't listen to the representatives of the colonies. So the colonies got sick of it, and revolted, starting with Boston Tea Party, where patriots dressed up as Native Americans and ransacked a ship delivering tea to the colonies, which also had heavy taxing. After that, the English didn't take too kindly to the revolts, so they sent their army to 'calm' things down, but the colonies fought back, starting the Revolutionary War. In this war, the colonies became the first country to officially whoop Great Britain's ass, becoming their own country. The official date it started was July 4th, 1776, and they called themselves the United States of America, when the Declaration of Independence was finished and signed by the Continental Congress and sent as a message to the King of England. And we have held up our reputation to whoop anybody else's ass who tries to disrupt the peace we have," Fred explained, winking to Kankuro who blushed. "Yay US!"

"Hm," Kankuro replied, intrigued by the story, pushing the blood that had run to his face back down. He scratched his chin, wondering what else to ask.

"You can check the stories on one of my papers," Lynne added. "I had to write a report on the Revolutionary War for my history class, last year."

"What happened December 7th, 1941?" Gaara asked.

"It was the day Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, a major military base in the U.S., was bombed by Kamikazes from Japan," Rox explained, "DURING a war that we weren't involved in until then." She shut her eyes in silent reverence and added, "It's considered one of the bloodiest days in history."

"Well, what did you do? I mean, if I was leading a country and we got attacked, I would have retaliated," Temari stated. She didn't realize that the Wind Country had done something similar to the Fire Country during the Chuunin Exams they had participated in.

"Well," Lynne started, "we dropped two nuclear bombs on them; one in Hiroshima and one in Nagasaki."

"What's so special about dropping bombs?" Gaara scoffed.

"Well, these bombs were special bombs," Ronni stated, a huge grin on her face. "They not only explode things, but the radiation from them caused a deadly and painful disease called Cancer." She seemed oddly cheerful about this little tidbit of trivia.

Kankuro's and Temari's faces visibly paled as Gaara just blinked. The other girls just furrowed their eyebrows. "You know, you really shouldn't be so excited about that information," Fred stated frankly.

"Well I find it invigorating," Ronni stated. "Our revenges are always interesting. It's nice to see we hit others back with more force." Ronni finished her small argument with a sharp nod of her head.

"Ri-ight," Fred stated.

"What about the other date?" Gaara interrupted, growing tired of the sisterly debate.

"Hm?" Cordi asked.

"On your shirt. September 11th, 2001. What happened then?" Gaara asked slower.

"Oh," Cordi said, feeling stupid for not catching on what he meant. "That day several people hijacked four airplanes. Two hit the Twin Towers, otherwise known as the World Trade Center. Another hit the Pentagon, where all our military leaders and CIA – which is kind of like our version of ANBU – are housed. The last plane was headed towards The White House, which is where the leader of our country lives, but several passengers were able to overthrow the hijackers and that plane crashed in a Pennsylvanian forest instead. It's also considered one of the bloodiest days in history." Cordi stopped to remember what happened.

"That was the day we were supposed to come over and hang out at your new house," Ronni said to Cordi and Rox.

"I remember. But our dad came by the Elementary and Middle schools and picked me and my sister up early. Like thirty minutes after school started, because the bombings were at what, 8:00 in the morning?" Cordi replied.

"Yeah," Rox said somberly.

"So, this happened recently?" Temari asked, kind of worried.

"Well, about eight years ago," Lynne replied, fiddling with her key necklace that she always wore.

"What did you do to them?" Kankuro asked curiously.

"Well, the hijackers obviously died, but we hunted down the group they were working for, which started the War on Terror, which we're still fighting, as far as we know," Fred explained, pursing her lips. "Our older brother and sister are currently fighting in that war." She reached for Ronni's hand who grasped Fred's and squeezed her grip tighter to comfort her.

"Our older brother and one of our cousins is in it too," Rox added, squeezing Cordi's hand.

Sensing the emotional state this was going towards, and not really wanting to go down that road, Gaara stated, "Well, the festival should be starting up anytime now. Why don't we head out?"

Everyone nodded their heads and exited the hotel room. "So are there going to be fireworks?" Ronni asked.

"Yes," Kankuro stated shortly. "It is a festival, isn't it?"

"Oh, right," Ronni said, quieting back down.

"That just means we REALLY get to celebrate the Fourth, like a proper American would on Independence Day!" Rox exclaimed, clapping her hands in her excitement.

* * *

The festival started with a lunch in the village square for all the visitors and villagers who had assembled for the Chuunin Exams the following day. There was an excited buzz amongst the people, who ate and laughed together. Cordi and Rox smiled. This was reminiscent of how they had always spent their Fourth; up in Maine with lobster and a fireworks show at night on the water. The group walked by all the street venders, pausing only to examine interesting merchandise and walking briskly by those who were selling fried lizards on sticks.

"There're some interesting food choices today," Lynne said, slightly perturbed by the last vendor, who sold boiled cow tongues.

Kankuro laughed at the comment. "Yeah, I stay away from some of the more exotic foods." The group turned when they heard crunching sounds. Lynne gagged at the sight. Gaara had just taken a very large bite of what looked like a skewered pig liver.

He swallowed his mouthful and glowered at the gawkers. "What? It's good," he growled and walked past them.

"Mmm, salty pig liver," Fred joked in Lynne's ear.

"EW!!" Lynne yelped, jumping away from Fred and sticking her tongue out in disgust. Rox and Cordi laughed.

"It really pays to be vegetarian," Rox joked and walked after Gaara with Cordi. Ronni tilted her head to the side, obviously not fully understanding the gist of the joke.

The group gradually made it to the square where the food was being served. Cordi, in her excitement to eat, sprinted through the crowd and got in the line that stretched across the square.

"I don't think I've ever seen her run that fast," Lynne laughed. Rox and Fred nodded and laughed, following the starved teenager to the food line.

"Well, wait. There was that time with the clowns." Rox said and laughed again.

"Cordi's afraid of clowns?" Ronni asked, and then an evil glint appeared in her eyes.

"Especially ones with red hair," Rox grinned, her eyes glinting evilly as well.

"Don't even think about it," Fred stated to the two, earning a pout from her younger sister and a 'you-ruined-my-fun' look from her best friend.

"What's so bad about red hair?" Gaara asked, a nonexistent eyebrow quirked.

"Nothing, it's just clowns…. You know with face make up and big red noses and big shoes and colorful outfits and goofy smiles and…." Lynne drifted off, realizing that everyone had stopped listening to her after the third 'and.'

"But… Clowns? Really?" Temari asked, trying to hold in her laughter. Rox nodded and laughed.

The group finally got through the line and weaved through the tables to find seats. The Subakus swerved away from the girls, obviously not wanting to eat their meal with so much shouting and laughter. The five girls found a spot and sat, pulling their chopsticks out of the paper and pulled the bamboo apart.

"Why is it always chopsticks?" Fred growled, holding the two sticks in a fist and stabbing at her food threateningly. She groaned as she realized stabbing her food with flat objects would bring her no success and she would either sit hungry or with very dirty hands.

"I enjoy eating with them." Rox said and she and Lynne gathered food between the two sticks and masterfully brought them to their mouths. Fred and Ronni glared at the two, jealous of their natural talent.

"You guys will get used to it." Cordi said, also deftly eating her Lo Mein with the bamboo sticks.

"I don't think I'll _ever_ get used to it." Ronni groused, tossing her sticks to the side and grabbing a fistful of General Tso's chicken and rice, ignoring how the sauce dripped down her wrist. Lynne scowled at the show of barbaric eating. Fred, however, did not give up on the chopsticks and instead tried to mimic Cordi's hands and spent the next ten minutes trying to gather enough food between the sticks for a sufficient bite. She cursed every time the rice fell back to the bowl and tried again.

After a few more minutes of unsuccessful chopstick usage, Fred placed the sticks beside her bowl and upended the contents into her mouth. She did not notice that two guys had just walked up to their table.

"Having trouble?" Naruto asked, trying to keep his laughter contained.

"Um… She can't use chopsticks…." Rox muttered, reminding Naruto of the incident a month ago, her head bent and watching her thumbs twiddle in her lap. Naruto couldn't hold it in any longer and the laughter burst out of his mouth. Fred glared up at him.

"How pitiful." Shikamaru remarked, frowning slightly. Ronni picked up some of her food and aimed it at him, but Fred stopped her just before the rice left her hand. He lifted his hands with a slight smile. "Sorry."

"Well, at least three of us can." Lynne pointed out, scooping out the dregs of food around the bowl. Cordi snapped her chopsticks for emphasis. "See?" Lynne asked.

"Don't you guys have forks or something?" Ronni whined to the two boys, who raised their eyebrows in confusion.

"Forks?" Shikamaru asked, scratching his head. This was the first time Rox had ever seen him not know what someone was talking about.

"Yeah, they're pronged and have a little flat surface so they're great for eating anything…. well except soup," Fred described. Shikamaru shook his head, an image of the utensil in his mind. Naruto just looked perplexed. "Hmmph… maybe I'll just have to make one…"

"Hey… how come you guys are all wearing the same colors?" Naruto asked and pointed at the five girls' clothes.

"It's America's Independence Day today," Cordi said, and recounted the History of the U.S. again, including what happened December 7, 1941 and September 11, 2001.

"Interesting," Shikamaru said, arms folded and pondering. Naruto's eyes had glazed over. Obviously he couldn't imagine their country or its history. When Shikamaru looked at him, he scoffed, "Stop trying to think so hard Naruto. You'll hurt yourself." The girls burst out laughing as Naruto huffed indignantly.

"Anyway, are you guys going to the fireworks tonight?" Rox asked hopefully. Shikamaru nodded an affirmative. Cordi noticed how hard Rox tried to hide her excitement.

"Well, we gotta go eat. We'll see ya later!" Naruto waved bye then turned away from their table, Shikamaru following behind.

Once they were out of earshot, Cordi turned to her sister who had a broad smile on her face. "So, that was Shikamaru, huh?" Rox nodded, still smiling.

"He's so much cuter than on the anime," Lynne laughed, causing Rox's cheeks to pink. Fred and Ronni started to laugh as well.

"We could say Gaara is too," Fred teased, and laughed when Cordi glared at her, cheeks burning red.

* * *

For the rest of the day, the girls wandered around the village, avoiding the vendors who sold fried anything on sticks. Before they knew it, the sun had set and everyone had climbed to the rooftops of all the buildings. Cordi and the others had run around the village, looking for a suitable roof when they spotted the Subakus standing on top of a rather tall building.

"HEY!!!" Cordi called up to them. The three siblings looked down to the ground, hearing the shout. "COULD ONE OF YOU GUYS HELP US UP?!" Suddenly, sand appeared under their feet. Not used to the shifting earth, the five girls fell to their butts as Gaara lifted them to the rooftop. "Thanks," Cordi said, awkwardly picking herself up and stepping onto the roof.

"No problem." Gaara replied. Three other figures appeared on the roof, one of them very large and could only be Choji. Shikamaru stood beside his longtime best friend and Naruto joined the Subakus.

"Hey guys!" Rox smiled, waving at the newcomers.

"Hey," the guys replied. "May we sit with you guys?" Naruto asked, sitting down regardless of any answer.

"Go ahead," Gaara replied in a monotone-like voice, giving it an indifferent feel. Shikamaru and Choji sat down with the group, finding comfortable positions for the entire show. Everyone was silent with anticipation.

"When are the frickin' …?" Cordi started, only to be interrupted by the boom of cannon fire. Color burst in the black sky with a loud pop, illuminating the dark village in a slight green hue. "Alright, here we go," she said quietly to herself. Several more fireworks shot off, and the crowd ooed and ahed at the sight. Especially Naruto. Every time a firework exploded, he made sure he added his " Oh, wow," or "Ah!"

Meanwhile, the five girls talked about the names of the fireworks. "See, look they just did Fairies," Rox pointed.

"Oh, look at the Pom-pom!" Ronni squealed.

"That's a Palm Tree, not a Pom-pom," Lynne corrected.

"Oh, right," Ronni nodded.

"There's the Force," Cordi pointed.

"The Force?" Gaara asked.

"Yeah, it's half light, half dark," She stated. He still looked confused. "You know, 'Come to the Dark Side, we have cookies,'" she mimicked a deep James Earl Jones voice. Gaara was still confused, and scooted away from her a little. "I'll have to show you Star Wars, I guess."

"You still watch those?" Fred asked.

"Sometimes," Cordi blushed.

"NERD!!" Lynne laughed.

"Shut up, Trekkie!" Cordi snapped pointing at the redheaded girl. Lynne stopped laughing and blushed. The rest of the five laughed.

"Trekkie?" Naruto asked his brows furrowed in confusion.

"She watches Star Trek," Rox explained, dead-pan.

"So?" Shikamaru asked, eyebrows raised.

"Means when it comes to nerds, she's about as nerdy as they get," Cordi stated, a victorious smirk lighting her face. Lynne pouted and glared back at Cordi, who stuck her tongue out at Lynne in return.

"It's like the pot calling the kettle 'black,'" Rox explained.

"But aren't they both black?" Shikamaru asked, as if the pot and kettle saying held some hidden meaning.

"Exactly," Rox replied. Shikamaru's eyebrows furrowed and then relaxed with understanding.

"Alright, I'm confused," Naruto interjected. "What does being a nerd have to do with pots and kettles?"

"Would you guys shut up?" Choji and Kankuro asked simultaneously.

"Sorry," the three muttered.

"How did we even get on that subject?" Ronni asked. Everyone chuckled at her air-headedness, then continued watching the fireworks.

After about fifteen minutes, the firework shooters decided to finish off their supply with the Grand Finale. Loud booms of cannons firing was heard along with the explosions of color popping to life in the dark night. The sight was incredible. Yellows, whites, blues, greens, and reds flared against the black satin sky. Different shapes came to life with their explosions and smoke hung heavy in the air where they faded.

After the last of the mortars were fired, Roxanne turned to face her best friends and said, "Happy Fourth of July guys."

The others smiled and nodded in agreement. "It was a good one," Fred admitted. "Although," she started, "I don't think it beats sticking fire-crackers in cow pies. That's the ultimate Fourth of July tradition in our family." Ronni smiled and nodded, reminiscing of the good ol' days. The other three laughed, while the ninjas looked at the two sisters confused.

**AN:** Sorry guys. I'm pretty sure you didn't want a history lesson, but it was too good to pass up! And I have a feeling I might lose some people over it, oh well. Don't forget to review, please! And … what else … Oh, yeah. If your friends read ff like this, send them over to read! And if you come across GrimSpeck18 or princessSiyaka, look at their stuff. It's infinitely better than mine. They edit this story really, and they also give me ideas for my plot. So seriously, LOOK AT THEM TOO!! Okay, that's all I have to say.


	6. Chapter 5

**AN:** Hey, Thanks to kunoichiqueen and princessSiyaka for adding my story to your faves!!

And to Amanda- Thank you so much! Just wait till I get to the mini plots, you'll probably die with laughter. ^.^

Also, sorry it's been a couple days. It's been crazy with moving into college and whatnot. I haven't really been able to get on the internet until recently, so yeah. ^.^o

**Disclaimer:** Yet again, I state that I do not own Naruto or its characters/ scenery. I do not profit from this at all except for the joy of seeing how well liked this story is!

**Chapter Five: Chuunin Exam Finals**

Today was the day everyone had to go to the arena for the Chuunin Exam Finals. Gaara went to sit with Tsunade up in the reserved seats for the Kages. The five girls sat in the stands near Sakura and Ino, who they had met around Konoha during this last month. Temari and Kankuro sat behind them. Shikamaru sat next to Temari, directly behind Roxanne. Naruto sat in front of the Subakus and next to Roxanne. The excitement was heavy in the air and cheers could be heard throughout the stadium as the final contestants made their entrance. Konohamaru was among them, as well as his two friends.

When they finished waving to the crowd, the group of eight teenagers left the scene to a room in the circular wall that surrounded the arena. Two teenagers stayed behind and stood in opposite centers of the arena. They were both waiting in fighter stances. Then the ninja who always seemed tired yelled, "Fight!"

And the match began. Magnificent punches were thrown and incredible kicks were landed by both parties. But throughout the fight, there were small tremors felt though the ground. Everyone else dismissed it as just sound waves of the fight. But the girls worried about their dragons fighting in the forest, and hoping that no one would catch on to their secret. Especially when they could hear the faint roars, which were growing steadily closer. The girls looked to each other, worried looks on their faces, Soon the fight was over and the next bout was to begin.

"Fight!" the tired ninja called as soon as the two genin got ready. They were about to launch at each other when a huge part of the wall collapsed. All that was seen was a huge ball of purple, silver, red, and black. Loud roars were heard. Quickly, the five girls flew out of the stands towards the dueling dragons, Roxanne and Cordi running the fastest. They slid down the ladder that led to the fighting stage and ran to the cloud of dust surrounding the thrashing dragons in the center of the arena. They did not notice that the entire crowd had grown quiet with surprise and fear.

"ALEERA!! STOP!!" Cordi yelled, as she ran across the dirt and grass of the fighting grounds, Roxanne close behind her yelling something similar to Gryffin.

The two dragons the size of houses looked up, realized where they were, and quickly jumped off each other. Gaara and Tsunade stood in the Kage box, absolutely speechless. Temari and Kankuro, along with Shikimaru, Naruto, and the rest of the gang, were beyond speechless. They all had a screwed up expressions in complete confusion and utter brain-blockage. Roxanne and Cordi did not notice this however, as they were too busy scolding their dragons.

"What the HELL is going on?!" Roxanne yelled at the dragons.

Aleera donned a pouting face and pointed an accusing claw at Gryffin and said, "He started it!"

"Oh, Yeah Ri-ight! I did not!" Gryffin yelled back.

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did NOT!"

"DID TOO!"

"SHUT IT BOTH OF YOU!!! Or so help me God, we will literally ground for a month! No flying, no running, zip!" Cordi yelled, her face crazed. Both dragons gulped and bowed their heads.

"Yes, ma'am," they each said in somber voices. This confused the crowds even more. Here were two humans treating two dragons, who could easily eat them, as if they were six-year olds misbehaving in the cereal aisle.

"Now, what happened," Cordi asked in a stern but calm voice. "One at a time!" She exclaimed as the two dragons opened their massive maws at precisely the same moment. They glared at each other until Gryffin shut his mouth and huffed angrily, blowing dust around.

"Well, I was taking my bath when Mr. Everything-is-My-way-or-the-Highway walked up and said he wanted to drink and I had to leave," Aleera stated. Gryffin rolled his eyes and clenched his jaw. "I told him I was there first, so finders keepers, losers weepers and that he'd either have to wait 'till I was done, or he could go over to the creek a hundred or so yards away like Saryu was doing and join him."

Suddenly Gryffin started laughing and said, "Hold on a minute. She had been in that pond all day." He turned to Aleera and yelled, "ALL DAY! And I'm sorry, but I wasn't just thinking for myself. What if Nessie had another asthma attack and needed to be in the water. She is the only one of us who has a reason for staying in water THAT LONG," he emphasized. "You? You were just preening! You could have done that ANYWHERE in the forest. But no-o, you have to preen in the water supply just so you can waste our time! And besides, I had been telling you to get out of the pond before you get pruny for at least two hours!"

"Well, I'm sorry that smelling good is a high priority to me, unlike you who smells like the rotting deer you had for breakfast," Aleera snapped. "Anyway, after our discussion, putting it nicely, he tried to DRAG me out. So then I obviously fought back. You know, you could have just asked nicely, Gryffin."

"I DID ASK NICELY," he growled, "FORTY-EIGHT TIMES BEFORE THE ARGUMENT! TRUST ME, I COUNTED!"

"You did not. Telling me that if I stay in the pond any longer I will come out uglier than I was before, is not a nice way of asking me to get out!" Aleera accused.

"I thought using the truth was always nice," Gryffin smirked.

Aleera howled in anger and launched at him. Cordi and Rox couldn't believe it. This was all over a bathroom dispute? Everyone has those arguments. Teen girl is in the shower for too long, and brother has to brush his teeth or pee. Brother begs for sister to get out, or at least unlock the door. Sister denies until explosion, and sister blames it on brother. [AN: I'm sure you readers have too. It is a common tradition passed down through the human race.]

"Stop!" Roxanne ordered. Both dragons stopped their fight. "So you two, in complete knowledge of what you were doing, saw fit to blow our cover, not just mine, Cordi's, Ronni's, Fred's, and Lynne's cover, but yours as well, over a BATHING DISPUTE?!?!?!" Roxanne was livid. As was Cordi, but she was past the point of words. Her facial expression had turned from pure nastiness to something beyond that. Her lips were pursed into a thin line, her jaw clenched and teeth grinding, her eyebrows so furrowed they met at the bridge of her nose, and her fist balled so tightly her knuckles were the whitest any kind of skin could get.

"Sorry," Aleera and Gryffin muttered, shuffled their clawed feet across the ground, creating massive scratches through it.

"You know what? Just for that, you both are grounded until further notice," Roxanne growled, eyes narrowed.

"Please, no!" they begged. "Anything, but grounding! We don't want to be tied to a tree and a weight! Cordelia, can't you do something?" They had thrown themselves to the ground and rolling around like a child having a tantrum, not wanting to be put in time out. Cordelia looked at the two with utter disdain.

"Well, you should have thought of that before," Cordi replied. "I agree completely with her punishment." The dragons frowned at this bit of news and stood up, heads hanging and sniffling. "Do you have any last words before we send you back?"

"I do," Aleera said, stepping forward, looking at Gryffin. "Just for the record, dragons don't get pruny, so there!" She stuck out her tongue at her victory.

Gryffin's eyes narrowed. "Stick your tongue out again, I dare you."

And she did, and he swiped, but she dodged by taking to flight and laughing victoriously. "It's still all your fault!"

"Why does she always have to have the last word?" he growled as he jumped up after her.

"WE'RE COMING BY LATER TO CHECK THAT YOU'RE STATIONARY!!!" Roxanne called after the retreating dragons, who roared back their understanding, then she put the heel of her palm on her forehead. Cordi closed her eyes, obviously trying to calm herself. They looked around the stadium to see everyone was staring at them confused, except for the other girls of the five who were all biting their tongues and pursing their lips. "Have they been staring the whole time?" Rox asked the others, who nodded.

Suddenly, everyone heard Tsunade yell to the audience, "I'm calling for a brief recess for the Chuunin Exams."

The tired ninja nodded and told the genin who stood flat against the wall in shock to go back to the fighter's lounge and to shake it off because their battle would start as soon as the recess was over. The two genin, who looked as if they were about to keel over due to heart failure, slid along the wall towards the stairs, watching the sky cautiously.

"You five come with me," Tsunade called down to them. She looked very agitated, which gave the five girls a foreboding feeling. She then looked to Gaara, and he nodded a reply. He would want to hear this.

* * *

Tsunade walked over to her chair and sat down roughly. She placed her elbows on her desk as she steepled her hands, trying to focus through her confusion. Gaara stood beside her, arms crossed, and a calculating look across his face. Both of them wanted answers, and they wanted them now.

"Please," Tsunade offered pointing to a sofa. The group of girls looked kind of scared, but they took her offer and crammed themselves on the two-seater. Cordi and Fred were stuck on the arm-rests. "Now, do you mind explaining what happened?"

"Well, didn't you hear them when they explained why they were fighting?" Ronni asked hopefully. Fred sighed at the air-headedness of her younger sister.

"Yes, but I don't believe that's what she meant," Gaara stated. Tsunade and Gaara both kept a stern face towards the girls.

"Yeah, well, I guess we were just hoping you didn't mean what you meant even though we knew you meant what you mean if that is what you mean at all and I … or we really hoped it wasn't," Lynne mumbled. Tsunade and Gaara gave her a slightly perturbed look, but shrugged it off. Then they turned their hard stares on the rest of the group.

"Well, this is what happened," Roxanne started, shifting in her seat, and completely ignoring what Lynne had just said so beautifully. "The day after we got here, we went to a local field and just hung out for a little while. During this time, what seemed to be stones came falling out of the sky hurtling towards us. So obviously we got out of the way. When we tried to pick them up, they started cracking and out popped five dragons. You saw two of them today. Mine was the purple one; his name is Gryffin. And the other's was…"

"Mine. Her name is Aleera," Cordi replied. Gaara and Tsunade nodded at this, and gestured for them to continue.

"Well, anyway," Roxanne continued, "None of us could believe our eyes, so obviously we had to touch to believe, and then we were knocked out for a couple hours. Apparently our dragons had to awaken our sleeping powers, which is another story completely. Anyway, after we woke up, we discussed what happened and what we were going to do about it, because the dragons obviously didn't leave. That's when we decided it was best to keep this a secret. And we had kept the secret hidden well for a month. Those dragons grow really quick, so you can imagine the difficulty," she nervously laughed.

"Why did you keep it a secret?" Tsunade asked.

"Well, I guess, we thought you would think we were crazy," Lynne suggested, and Tsunade had to fight a nod.

"Also, we figured you'd send them away. They need us," Ronni begged turning on her puppy dog eyes, even though they weren't necessarily needed in this situation.

"Why would they need you?" Gaara asked skeptically.

"Have you heard of Imprinting?" Fred asked. "It's very popular among birds. The first being they see becomes their mother. They will follow that being until they are finished growing and have the will to live on their own without their mothers telling them what to do and how to do it. Apparently, dragons are similar. They told us that they were searching for maternal beings, females, with the strength of at least a dragon since the end of the Dinosaur Age. They are the last of their race, so they had to find a new race for mothers. They chose us. But once they grow up, they become our partners and if needed our guardians."

Gaara couldn't really wrap his head around this. These four girls younger than him were chosen by a species dead since the end of the Jurassic Period, or whenever it was, to be their mothers?

"We need them, too," Cordi stated. The kages' brows shot up. "They are the only ones who are able to teach us about our new powers. We've been teaching them how to be civilized, and they've been training us so that we can use our powers the way they were meant to be used," Cordi explained.

"Well it sounds like a fair trade," Tsunade stated. "Now rewind, what about these 'sleeping powers'?"

"Well each of us has a power specific to each element. Like spirit, which is my power. It allows me to hear thoughts but Saryu – my dragon – has helped me to block other peoples' thoughts and it's really tough mind you, keeping my mental barriers up, kind of like keeping the water out of New Orleans when a hurricane comes and that's not easy considering that the dykes don't hold their own against the ferocious water……." Lynne kept going, talking down a path no one could follow and speaking too quickly for anyone to catch specific words or ideas.

"What she's trying to say is," Roxanne interrupted Lynne's rambling, much to the relief of the Kages, who had no chance of understanding the eccentric girl, "that the five of us are something akin to elementals. I possess the power of wind and Lynne already said she was Spirit."

"I control earth and Ronni controls water." Fred pointed to herself first then to Ronni, who looked like she was daydreaming out the window and not paying attention to the current debacle.

"I'm fire, as Gaara probably assumed after I accidently set the kitchen on fire." Cordi smiled sheepishly.

"Wait, that was the night after you all arrived here, wasn't it?" He asked, and the five girls nodded. "So when you heard Kankuro's thoughts, that was your power that your dragon awakened?" He inquired of Lynne

"Yes! Didn't I say that?" Lynne asked. Four of the girls giggled quietly, knowing their friend only became this incoherent when she was nervous.

"You're leaving for Sunagakure in the morning, correct?" Tsunade asked of Gaara, who nodded slightly. "Will they be fine with splitting up tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we already discussed it with them," Ronni stated, sadly.

"Well then it's settled," Tsunade clapped, "Tomorrow Gaara will take Cordi and Aleera on their journey to Sunagakure, and the other four will stay here."

"I'm not sure that's a fair trade. I think Suna should have at least two," Gaara stated for obvious political reasons.

"Be happy I'm giving you one pair. Everyone else is already considered Konoha citizens. I can't exactly force them to move," Tsunade explained.

Gaara, upset he didn't get what he wanted, frowned and nodded. "It's still unfair in the power balance," he mumbled. But he left without much ado. Tsunade dismissed the group of girls after getting guarantees that she would be able to meet the other dragons and test the girls on their powers.

* * *

The Chuunin exams resumed and then ended by their scheduled time after the recess. The local feudal lords had to find a place to stay that night, which was easy, because any hotel would allow them in. The next day, the Subakus stood at the gate with Cordi and Aleera. Temari wore her normal red and black kimono. Kankuro wore his normal black with purple face paint. Gaara wore his blue and white Kazekage robes and hat, with his gourd tied onto the carriage. Cordi wore her normal flared jeans, a gray tank top, and white sneakers.

Cordi had tied all of her bags onto Aleera's back, except for the more fragile stuff like her computer and iHome which was on the carriage, so she didn't have to carry them the entire way. Gaara gave a skeptical look towards Cordi and her dragon. He couldn't believe what had happened. He was about to climb into his carriage when she had landed next to him.

Temari and Kankuro were both gawking at Aleera and Cordi. "So, th-this is your dragon?" Temari spluttered.

Cordi and Aleera nodded their reply.

"Un-freaking-believable," Kankuro muttered. "A dragon chose someone from another world to raise it. Makes no sense."

They were about ready to start their walk, when Cordi asked, "This is a three day walk, right?"

They looked at her as if to say, "Duh."

"Right, well are we walking, or running a bit?" Cordi asked.

"Walking the entire way," Temari growled a little.

"Cordi, you may ride on my back," Aleera offered, leaning down a bit. Cordi didn't want to insult either party.

"You know, it may be easier if I ride Aleera. I am rather slow," Cordi grimaced. Temari and Kankuro rolled their eyes. Gaara didn't pay attention. Aleera nodded and leant down so Cordi could climb up. She offered her paw so Cordi could step onto it, and lifted it towards where her neck met her shoulders. Cordi straddled her legs over Aleera's neck in between two spikes, and grabbed hold of one of the spikes along her spine. Her scales were soft and small, like a dinosaur's scales. The seat was comfortable, which was surprising.

She quickly plugged up her iPod and set it on the playlist she wanted to listen to. "Are we ready?" Temari asked.

"WAIT!!!!" A voice from across the front square echoed and four figures separated from the buildings, and four dragons flew in from the Forest of the Dead. Cordi jumped off of her dragon as Roxanne stopped in front of her, panting slightly. "You can't just leave without saying goodbye!" She scolded, then pulled her sister into a tight hug. "Stay safe, ok?"

Cordi smiled and pulled away. "Of course, you don't have to worry about me."

Lynne and Ronni hugged Cordi bye while Fred laughed at the statement. "You still don't have total control of your element, and knowing you, you'd set the house on fire!" She joined the hug, even though Cordi huffed indignantly. Cherokee and Saryu laughed as well and nodded in agreement.

"And don't you have any of your 'preening' sessions and waste the Kazekage's time." Cherokee chimed in, her voice rumbling with her laughter. Gryffin snorted at the comment.

"Yeah, I'd say I'd miss you…" he started.

"But you'd probably be lying." Aleera finished and rolled her large eyes.

"You know, this goodbye isn't forever." Temari sighed in agitation, obviously anxious to get going with their journey. Cordi nodded and let go of her sister and friends.

"I'll see you guys soon." She said, and with that climbed on Aleera's neck and nodded to the Subakus that she was ready to go.

Gaara and his siblings started their walk. Aleera waited a little while, letting everyone else get a little ahead. "Aleera, what are you doing?" Cordi asked.

"She probably forgot how to fly." Saryu muttered in an annoyed tone, causing Gryffin, Cherokee, and Nessie to burst into riotous laughter. The Subakus turned around to see what was going on.

Suddenly Aleera spread her wings, and with a triumphant roar, jumped up into the sky at an incredible speed. Cordi was obviously screaming. Aleera just laughed.

"Jeez, Cordi, cool down, I know what I'm doing," Aleera laughed.

"I need to get a dragon," Kankuro whispered. Temari nodded in a disbelieving agreement.

Cordi took deep breaths to calm her heart rate. "Warn me next time, you could have given me a heart attack!" Cordi scolded.

"Sorry. You ready to go? There are some tricks I've been dying to show you!" Aleera stated.

"I have a feeling I'm going to regret this, but sure," Cordi replied. Aleera smiled.

"ALRIGHT!" She exclaimed. Then she corkscrewed forward, earning another scream from Cordi, which turned into a rich laughter.

"I really need to get a dragon," Kankuro whispered. Temari laughed. Gaara just grimaced in what seemed to be disgust.

**AN:** And with that, is the end of the chapter. Please review, and I will try and update sooner! And remember, check out GrimSpeck18 and princessSiyaka. They have awesome stories!


	7. Chapter 6

**AN:** I don't really have much to say this time. It's great that a ton of people are reading this, but if more people reviewed, that would be even better!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters blah blah blah.

**Chapter Six: Arrival In Sunagakure**

After flying for about an hour, Aleera and Cordi looked down to find that no one was around them. The Subakus were nowhere near them. They had already made it to the desert. Now Cordi felt really bad, because they had left the Subakus, who were still walking, in the dust.

"Sorry, I didn't realize we were going so fast," Aleera muttered.

"It's ok. I should have noticed, but I didn't. It's my fault," Cordi reasoned. Then she put her iPod back on full blast as Aleera landed on the hot sand to wait for the Subakus.

* * *

Ronni was walking down the main road of Konoha minding her own business as best she could. She couldn't help but notice the whispers from the crowd around her. "That's one of the girls from the other dimension, right? I heard they have dragons," and such like that is what everyone was saying. Suddenly she found something that could take her mind off anything.

"Oh, what a cute dog!" she squealed, walking over to a big dog. It was obviously a wolf hybrid. It was white, with brown tips on its ears and tail. It panted happily as Ronni stroked his ears.

"Akamaru! Where are you boy?" she heard a boy yell.

The dog looked up and barked. Suddenly, a boy with red streaks down his cheeks came running over. Akamaru stood up, tail wagging and tongue sticking out. Ronni stood up too and looked at the boy. He looked about Naruto's and Gaara's age. "Hi," Ronni said.

"Hi," he replied awkwardly.

"Nice dog. Akamaru, right?" she said.

"Yeah," he replied.

"My name's Ronni," she introduced.

"Kiba," he replied, shaking her hand. "You wouldn't happen to be one of the girls from the other world, would you?"

Ronni smiled, and closed her eyes. "Yeah, that would be me," she said, pursing her lips a bit.

"That is so weird!" Kiba said, smiling.

Ronni furrowed her eyebrows a bit. "You – aren't creeped out?" she asked.

"No, should I be?" he asked.

"No, I'm not that creepy," Ronni smiled, "It's just, everyone else is freaked."

He looked around and saw everyone suddenly avert their eyes. He furrowed his brows and said, "Maybe they just need to get to know you better."

"Maybe," Ronni laughed. "I'll see you around." She smiled, turned, waved, and walked away.

Akamaru barked and Kiba looked at him. "What, you like her?" He asked. Another bark and a big smile came from the canine. "Good vibe and was soothing when she pet you, those are your only reasons?" Akamaru barked and growled again. "Fine, I'll get to know her. But, Mom is going to kill us if we don't get back in time for the picnic." Another bark from Akamaru, and they left.

* * *

The Subakus were nearing the desert edge, where they were going to set up camp because it was getting dark, when they heard something strange from just beyond the tree line. There was a growling gruff voice singing with a woman. The song went something like this.

"They're gonna clean up your looks/ with all the lies in the books/ to make a citizen out of you./ Because they sleep with a gun/ and keep an eye on you, son/ so they can watch all things that you do./ Because the drugs never work./ They're gonna give you a smirk,/ 'Cuz they've got methods of keeping you clean./ They're gonna rip off your heads,/ your aspirations to shreds./ Another cock in the murder machine!/ They say that, 'Teenagers scare/ the living shit out of me!/ They could care less/ as long as someone will bleed!'/ So darken your clothes,/ or strike a violent pose./ Maybe they'll leave you alone,/ but not me!/ The, boys and girls in the clique,/ the awful names that they stick./ You're never gonna' fit in much kid./ But if you're troubled and hurt,/ What you got under your shirt?/ We'll make them pay for the things that they did!/ They say that, 'Teenagers scare/ the living shit out of me!/ They could care less/ as long as someone will bleed!' So darken your clothes,/ or strike a violent pose./ Maybe they'll leave you alone,/ but not me!/ OH, Yeah!"

They entered the desert clearing to see Cordi and Aleera bobbing their heads to what seemed to be a beat to a song. They were dancing a little, but not too much, just keeping the beat by shifting their weight slightly. Then they started again with, "They say that, 'Teenagers scare/ the living shit out of me!/ They could care less,/ as long as someone will bleed!'/ So darken your clothes,/ or strike a violent pose!/ Maybe they'll leave you alone,/ but not me…. Oh, hi guys," Cordi added nervously at the end, with a small wave. She quickly paused her iPod. "You're here."

"Yes, we are," Gaara stated in a bored tone. "How long have you been here?"

"Oh, an hour or so," Cordi didn't have the heart to tell them that they had actually been waiting since way past lunchtime.

Kankuro stopped to look at the scene, much like Jack Sparrow looking at the Black Pearl sailing through the desert on crabs, which made Cordi laugh. "How can she here what's coming from your headphones?" He asked

"We share a mind bond," Aleera explained, "I can hear her thoughts, and she can hear mine." The Subakus just blinked at this information.

"Huh. Well, just so you know, we're setting up camp here," Temari stated, pulling a sleeping bag and a pillow off of the carriage, as did Kankuro. Gaara did too, as soon as he stepped out of the carriage. Temari finished her statement with, "so find a place to crash for the night. Do you have a sleeping bag?"

"No, but I have a blanket, and I'll be good with that," Cordi replied while walking over to her dragon for her bed supplies. When she was standing next to Aleera, unhooking her stuff, she said, "Tomorrow, I will ride you, but we are walking at their speed."

"But that's so slow," Aleera groaned quietly.

"I know, but I don't want to get lost, one, and two, I feel really bad that they've taken us in, and we ignored them. So just deal with it," Cordi replied, turning back towards camp.

She quickly laid her blanket and pillow down completing the circle with the group and sat on it. There wasn't any wind, but it could always pop up. Aleera curled up around the group. Her head laid next to Cordi and her entire body encircled the rest of the group. As the sun set, Temari and Kankuro finished putting up logs for a campfire. They were about to light a match when Cordi went ahead and put her hand on a log, which then burst into flames, creating a gentle campfire.

Gaara sat the entire time in a quiet, meditative pose, eyes closed and everything. Temari pulled out a small pan, filled it with some bottled water and some noodles, and placed it on the coals on the side of the fire. They stayed quiet for a while, waiting for the noodles to cook. Cordi started to sigh, each time earning a small clenching of eyes from Gaara, and a grimace from Kankuro. After the third or fourth time Kankuro snapped. "Please! Stop, just please stop!" Kankuro begged.

This made Gaara open his eyes and scowl at his brother. "Sorry," Cordi apologized softly. "I just do that when it's too quiet. My sister hates it too, but I just can't help myself! It's a bad habit …"

"The noodles are ready," Temari stated, pouring four bowls of instant ramen. She passed out the bowls to each person, then the chopsticks. Everyone split the chopsticks evenly and started to eat in silence. "You know, Cordi, I've been meaning to ask you something," Temari started.

"What?" Cordi asked.

"Well, I heard that when you watched this 'TV show,' your favorite character was Gaara," Temari stated. "I was wondering why." Cordi looked at Temari, who looked genuinely curious.

"Yeah, I have been wondering about that, too," Kankuro said, looking at Cordi. Gaara tried not to look interested, but he put down his food, which made it obvious.

Cordi bit her lip, and furrowed her eyebrows, sadness gleaming in her eyes. She set her food down, crossing her arms, sighed and licked her lips. She took a long intake of breath then pursed her lips. "How do I put this?" she started. Temari and Kankuro were waiting, kind of impatiently. "I felt that Gaara and I shared a similar past," she answered, averting her eyes away from the siblings' eyes. She gave them a small smile and said, "The End."

She saw that Gaara was actually looking at her. His eyebrows were furrowed in curiosity. "How similar?" he asked.

"Can we not talk about this?" Cordi pleaded uncomfortably. Kankuro and Temari averted their eyes and muttered apologies, but Gaara still stared at her, his gaze piercing into her soul. "It's called Odd Girl Out Syndrome," she sighed, "And my school had a particularly bad case of it. It's normally between girls, because if guys have a beef, they just beat each other up, and it's over. Girls on the other hand hold a grudge and tear others down, by ruining their reputation and ridding them of friends. And the girls at my school chose me to be that girl. No one would hang out with me or try to be my friend because it was 'Social Suicide.' And normally it's for no reason except because the girl who has the most friends doesn't like someone, and turns everyone against them. I never heard a specific reason why everyone hated me. Ronni, who I met after several years of this, was the only one in my grade who accepted me. It was like everyone else couldn't stand the sight of me, and I was completely and utterly alone.

"Every time I came home, crying about how everyone mistreated me, including teachers, I could see how it tore my mom up inside. She was forced to watch as I had to fight a losing battle for acceptance. I eventually found an escape through my imagination and TV shows. My school grades dropped incredibly due to the fact that I just didn't pay attention because I escaped into my imaginary world. If I had homework, I ignored it for my TV shows, which gave me something to fuel my imagination during school. Eventually reading did, too. It became habitual, and got to the point where my grades were so bad that I was going to fail and get held back. My parents pushed me to finish work, but I did it halfway, only getting barely a passing grade

"When Ronni and I became best friends, several people tried to tear us apart. But she was the only one who stood by me, and I'm very thankful for that. When people told her she was hanging out with a freak or a weirdo, she'd laugh at them and say, 'But those people are the most fun!' She healed the broken hearts that experience caused my family as best as she could. That's probably why my mom says, 'She can get away with murder and still be accepted at my house,'" Cordi finished, a small teary smile on her face. She looked down, her stick straight dirty blonde hair falling as a curtain to cover her teary brown almost black eyes.

Gaara looked away and nodded. They did have a similar history, but she wasn't even jinchurriki like he used to be and Naruto was. He felt kind of bad for her, but definitely empathetic with her story. He quietly picked up his ramen and continued to eat.

The Subakus heard Cordi start to sniffle . "Excuse me," she said quickly, getting up and walking away from the group. Aleera uncurled herself and walked away from the group following Cordi.

"Are you alright?" Aleera asked.

Cordi wiped her eyes and her nose and said, "It's just been a while since I cried. It's been, oh I can't remember, since before I stopped caring about what happened."

Aleera looked back at her and said, "You know, you can't change your past."

"Just learn from it," Cordi finished.

"Well, I was going to say hope for a better future, but that works, too," Aleera added. Cordi laughed a little at Aleera's attitude as few more tears slid down her cheeks.

"Sorry," they heard a gravelly voice say behind them. Cordi quickly turned around, drying her puffy red eyes as best she could. Aleera just swiveled her head around to face the red-headed man.

"Oh, it's not your fault," Cordi assured.

"I pressured you into talking about something personal that you weren't ready to share. For that I'm sorry," Gaara stated. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

Another tear fell as she smiled at him. It was a sad smile, but a genuine one. "Thanks, and it's alright," She reassured him, wiping a tear away from her eyes.

He walked towards her looking at his steps, until he was beside her. "The only other person with a similar past to me that I've met was Naruto, and I don't get to see him that often. It's …" he paused to find the correct wording he was looking for, "refreshing to meet someone that I can relate to and see more often."

"I know the feeling," she replied, chuckling a little. "My mom used to tell me that before the crap happened to me, I was a funny girl that was always good for a laugh. I wonder if she got that girl back, and if my mom did, was she an exact version of what she was originally or a more cynical and sarcastic copy of that little girl." Gaara nodded in understanding. He was young, innocent, and impressionable before he found out his uncle hated him, like everyone else had. He often wondered if he ever became that innocent young boy again, or was he a darker, more pessimistic version of the little boy he once was.

They didn't say anything else while standing there, looking at the desert horizon, but she knew she had earned a kind of respect and trust from Gaara.

* * *

Baki stood watch with several others at the Sunagakure wall. Today was the day that Gaara and his siblings were supposed to be returning. They had received a message from Gaara several weeks ago telling Baki to get the normal Kazekage house decorators to get one of the guest bedrooms ready, although he didn't really state how long the guest would be staying with them.

"Are they here yet?" a girl behind him asked. He turned around to see Gaara's old student, Matsuri. She had been asking about them for the past couple days, like a love-sick teenager.

"Not yet. But it'll be anytime now," Baki said, turning back to his post.

"But it's been so long," she whined. Baki rolled his eyes. Sometimes, her fanaticism of his old student and her teacher really bothered him.

"They'll be here today," Baki growled. Matsuri frowned at his harshness. She knew he wasn't too fond of her, but did he have to show it all the time?

"Fine," she pouted, "I'll wait at the opening." With that, the light brunette left the senior ninja alone.

They each waited an hour for their Kazekage and his siblings and this much awaited guest. Baki, tired of standing turned to find the chair he brought up just for this purpose. Just as he sat down, he heard another guard yell, "Something on the horizon!" Baki, rolling his eyes, stood up grudgingly to see this "something." Indeed, it was something. It looked like a small caravan with a giant lizard walking through the desert.

"Hand me your telescope," Baki ordered the guard who called in the caravan. The guard spluttered in confusion, patting his pockets for the telescope. Obviously, his hopes of finding the telescope were being dashed as he continued his search.

When he found it, a victorious grin crossed his features. As he handed it to Baki, he smiled nervously and said, "What you're looking for is always in the last place you look for it."

"Next time, make sure you look in the last place first," Baki scowled. He knew skipping his usual coffee today was a mistake. He quickly extended the telescope and put his eye to the small lens. It took him a little while to find the caravan with the small viewing hole. There was a woman wearing black with a fan on her back and a man in black with what could only be called a bandaged thing on his back. Next to them was a carriage with white drapes and blue lining covering the windows. On top of the carriage sat Gaara's trademark gourd. Next to the carriage was what he correctly described earlier as a giant lizard. It was red, and looked like it held wings close to its body. A gem gleamed brilliantly on its forehead. The lizard looked to be three times the height of the oxen-pulled carriage. "That's the Kazekage's caravan, but I have no idea what is walking with them."

A few more minutes, the caravan was a few meters away from the stone wall surrounding Sunagakure. Matsuri squealed with delight as the Subakus came close enough for her to see them. Gaara stepped out of his carriage and greeted his old student with a smile and a hug. "Ah, Gaara-sama. It's so good to have you back," Matsuri sighed. Cordi furrowed her eyes at the scene. She had never seen Gaara be so affectionate. Aleera helped Cordi get back on the ground. Cordi noticed Gaara look at Matsuri with a look of longing passion as they pulled away from each other, but it was hidden as well as he could have hidden it.

Matsuri then walked over to Kankuro and hugged him too. "I've missed you so much, Kankuro-san!" Matsuri stated.

"Me too," Kankuro replied, looking at her the same way Gaara had, but masking it too. Cordi was obviously confused, but she didn't voice her observations.

When it was time for Matsuri to greet Temari, all she did was give her a curt nod and a small, "Hello, Temari," in a slightly catty voice.

"Hello, Matsuri," Temari replied in an equal voice. The scowl Temari gave Matsuri was obvious, which made her two brothers frown a little.

"Who is this?" Matsuri asked, turning towards Cordi and smiling, ignoring Temari's glare.

Cordi smiled back, not really sure of herself. "I'm Cordelia Turner," she replied. Something about Matsuri rubbed Cordi the wrong way, and Aleera could feel her uneasiness. She wasn't sure if it was the fact that both male Subakus seemingly had a crush on her, which would definitely cause a rift in the family, or the fact that Temari, who was a rather good judge of character, didn't really trust her.

"Are you from Konoha?" Matsuri asked congenially.

"Technically, no," Cordi replied. "I'm, uh, from another world." Cordi blushed a little. Matsuri laughed at the answer.

"Haha, right, and I rule the free world," Matsuri scoffed. "You can't be that _special_." Matsuri laughed at her sarcastic comment.

Cordi pursed her lips, then gave Matsuri a sarcastic smile in return. "Have you met my dragon?" Cordi asked in a sickeningly sweet voice, pointing to Aleera like a model on The Price is Right. Aleera lowered her head and snorted in Matsuri's face, whose eyes were the size of turkey platters. Temari smiled at the young brunette's discomfort. "Her name's Aleera."

"H-h-hi," Matsuri stuttered, trembling slightly in fear.

Aleera sniffed the air around Matsuri which smelled like cinnamon. The scent was so obvious, Cordi could even smell it. "Are you wearing seasoning?" Aleera asked Matsuri. Cordi laughed, and Matsuri paled, as did Gaara and Kankuro. Temari was still smiling.

"No, Aleera, no. That's just her perfume," Cordi replied.

Just then, Baki joined them, greeting the Subakus happily. "So, who's this visitor?" Baki asked.

"This is Cordelia Turner, and her dragon Aleera," Temari smiled, pointing to her newly found friend, due to a common enemy or discomfort.

"How long will they be staying?" Baki asked, nervously eyeing Aleera.

"Indefinitely," Gaara replied.

"But …" Baki started. Gaara shot him a short glare. "Sir …" Baki started again.

"She is my guest until she, her sister, and her friends find a way back to their normal world, where they can observe our world from the safety of their couches," Gaara explained, not looking at his old teacher. His face showed a bit of annoyance with Baki's audacity to undermine his authority. "Konoha happened to be short on housing, and I offered a room in my own house. Are we clear?"

"But, Sir, what about her dragon?" Baki asked.

Aleera snorted. "I'm here, and I do have a name," she growled. Baki rolled his eyes slightly at her outburst, but turned back to Gaara. "Don't roll your eyes at me. I've been a little hungry lately, what with the lack of game around here. You just might sate my appetite for a couple hours or so, little man." Baki now looked at the carnivore with worried eyes, as Aleera showed her sharp teeth, meant for tearing meat from bone with a quick bite.

"Aleera, stop, or your grounding will be longer," Cordi warned, narrowing her eyes at Aleera.

"Yes, ma'am," Aleera replied to Cordi.

"Now, apologize," Cordi demanded, nodding her head towards Baki, who looked as though he'd seen a ghost. Matsuri looked as if she was about to pass out.

"I'm sorry," Aleera said to Baki, lowering her head a little.

"For?" Cordi reminded.

"I'm sorry for threatening to eat you," Aleera finished grudgingly, head still lowered. Baki's mouth hung open at the display.

"Aleera chose Cordi to be her adoptive mother and partner," Gaara leaned into whisper in Baki's ear, whose mouth was still open in confusion. "If there was anyone to be careful around out of that pair, it most likely is Cordi. Although, Aleera is strong too."

"Nicely put Gaara," Cordi stated. Aleera nodded in agreement. Matsuri fainted. After Gaara and Kankuro got her back on her feet, Baki showed Cordi and Aleera into Sunagakure, followed by the Subakus and Matsuri.

**AN:** PLEASE REVIEW!!! I love to reply to my reviewers, and I love hearing feedback! Seriously, it doesn't take long.


	8. Chapter 7

**AN:** Hi. Alright, to Thomas Drovin- Thanks so much for the reviews. I was really happy to hear… I should say read them. You crack me up. But yes, Gaara having a dragon in Suna should be interesting… although, I find Gaara having Cordi in Suna more interesting, you'll find out why later. ^.^

Also, thanks to Thomas Drovin and Yami no Musume for adding this story to your faves. Also to everyone reading, it's a great feat that I already have 270 views in one week! Readers, keep it up! You guys are all awesome!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc.

**Chapter Seven: Ninja Tests**

Roxanne woke up with the sun shining in her face. She tried to roll over and ignore it, but it was blinding. Grudgingly, she got up and stretched. She then looked at the clock next to her bed and noticed the time said "11:30." She sat and thought. She could remember that there was something she had to do today, but she couldn't remember what.

Then, like an oncoming train, it hit her. Today was the day Tsunade was testing her and her friends, along with their dragons. She looked at the clock and she realized she was thirty minutes late to said test.

"SHIT!" she yelled as she jumped off her bed and ran to her closet. She quickly grabbed a tank-top, exercise shorts, socks and tennis shoes.

"Where the Hell are you?" she heard Gryffin asked through their mind bond. "I tried to contact you earlier, but all I got was you and a gruff looking man named Gerry Butler stuck on a huge boat."

Roxanne stopped dressing to laugh and thought, "That was a good dream. Thanks for reminding me."

"Not the point!" Gryffin yelled. "Why aren't you here yet?! The Nara guy looks pissed!"

"Shikamaru's there?" Rox gasped, stopping again.

"Yes, why?" Gryffin asked like the answer didn't really matter.

"Damn, and I don't look good! I have to pick out something else!" she thought as she raced back to her closet, looking for new outfits.

"You've got to be kidding me! You are not getting changed! If you do, I will tell the Nara that you're late because you want to look good for him!" Gryffin blackmailed.

"You wouldn't!" Roxanne gasped.

"Oh, I would," Gryffin replied darkly.

"You're an ass, you know that?" Rox asked.

"Yes, but I'm a loveable one," Gryffin replied. She could practically hear the smirk in his tone. "Now, speaking of asses, get yours down here, pronto!"

"Alright," Roxanne muttered, putting her last shoe on. She grabbed her inhaler for her Physical Activity induced Asthma and took a quick drag, dropping it back on the counter."I'm coming, I'm coming." With that she ran out the door, locking it on the way.

* * *

Shikamaru stood in the middle of the field waiting for the last of the eight to arrive. Tsunade asked him, Neji, Sakura, and Lee to help test the girls on their powers. Tsunade had already stated that Shikamaru would face Roxanne, Neji would face Ronni, Sakura would face Fred, and Lee would face Lynne. He was also none too pleased when Tsunade said that since Roxanne was the last to arrive to the test, she and Shikamaru were going first. He knew he was lazy, and it may seem a little hypocritical, but he didn't like it when others wasted his time with their laziness. He did have better things to do, like look at the clouds and guess shapes. Gryffin seemed on edge for a little while waiting for Rox. Then she made her grand entrance, and he was fine.

She came running into the field as fast as her feet could carry her. "Sorry I'm la-AH-OOF!" she apologized as she tripped oh so gracefully over a rock in her path, falling face flat in the dirt. Gryffin proceeded to fall on the ground in laughter, his talons clutching his abs, and pointing a feathered wing at her.

Shikamaru, being the gentleman that he was, walked over to her and helped her up. She quickly brushed herself off, as he asked her, "You okay?" Gryffin was still shrieking with laughter in the background, with a few, "Oh my God, you should have seen your FACE!!"

"Yeah, thanks," she smiled at Shikamaru.

"Yeah, just making sure that you aren't already injured before our match," he replied in a bored tone.

"You mean, you and I are fighting?" she asked, a little worried. Shikamaru nodded, slightly frowning. He still looked agitated about something. "Ok…. So you and I will be sparring, is there anything else I should know?"

"Are you two ready?" Tsunade called. She was standing with her arms crossed over her double e sized chest. The rest of the group was standing there as well. Rox was surprised to see so many people out at the field, and all staring at her and Shikamaru with waiting eyes.

"As you can see, we're first up because you were late," Shikamaru remarked, stuck his hands in his pockets and walked over to the group. Rox now understood why he was so annoyed. Firstly, Shikamaru hated having to fight like this and secondly, he hated going first at anything. She realized that little fact was similar between them. She followed him over to the group, her own hand subconsciously slipping into her pockets. "Yes, we're ready," Shikamaru said in a very bored tone.

Tsunade nodded, "Alright then, on with the rules. First, only use the weapons you are used to using, like kunai knives and such. Secondly, do not kill your opponent. Lastly, to win, you have to be able to kill your opponent."

"But… you said that we couldn't kill our opponents…." Ronni piped up, perplexed.

"Yes, you have to be able to deal a death blow. Mainly, when you go into that kind of move, you have your opponent subdued. Once that moment occurs, you are the victor. Just remember that these matches are for observation, so do your best. Any more questions?" The group remained quiet, so Tsunade nodded to Shikamaru and Rox, who walked to center of the large field.

Rox and Shikamaru stood there staring at each other for a few minutes. "How do we start?" Rox asked after another few minutes. Then she looked down and saw his extended shadow and panicked, becoming the wind and flying around him in the air. She appeared again at his nine o'clock. "Well, that was close."

Shikamaru turned to face Rox. She was quick, so that would make it hard to catch her. Just to see where she would go, Shikamaru sent another shadow after her. A gust of wind surrounded her, obscuring her, then it whirled around him in a wide circumference like before and she appeared in front him again, the same place as when they started. Making sure her appearance was random, Shikamaru sent the shadow back at her, and again the wind whipped around her, then around him again. This time, she appeared behind him.

Rox stood, slightly breathless, at Shikamaru's six o'clock. She thought he was going to send another shadow after her and was about to move again, but he didn't. He turned towards her with a small smirk on his face, then back flipped away from her, landing in a kneeling position, eyes clothes and hands in a triangle. 'Oh jeez, he's thinking….' Rox thought, taking a deep breath and jumping back as well. From her research, aka reading comics and watching TV, Shikamaru had a distance issue with his shadows. If she stayed far enough away, he wouldn't be able to catch her using shadow possession. If she got caught, she was stuck and at his mercy. She clenched her teeth. She knew she had to do something, but she didn't know what! Frustrated, she took another deep breath and shut her eyes, thinking. First though, she had to catch her breath before she had an asthma attack, which would not be pretty.

"What are they doing?" Nessie asked.

"Thinking," Neji and Gryffin said simultaneously.

"About what? Shouldn't they be fighting?" Ronni asked, still lost. Fred rolled her eyes and sighed at her younger sister.

"They're thinking about how to beat each other," Fred said, shooting her sister a look that said 'start using your brain.' Then she laughed. "God, Ronni you're not going to win this fight." Ronni glared at her sister before returning her gaze to the fight. "Besides, Rox is trying to calm down so her breathing doesn't get out of control." The statement caused a few heads to turn but Fred shook her head, not going to explain at that moment.

Rox had opened her eyes, her breath calm and her mind ready. Now was the time, she couldn't let him think of a way to beat her any longer. Sprinting towards the crouched ninja, she readied her wind for an attack. Suddenly, she froze in place, her muscles stuck in the same position. "Crap!" She hissed to herself, as the crouching ninja disappeared and she felt her body turn around to face the real Shikamaru who was standing with his hands in his pockets.

"Check mate," Shikamaru stated, then released his hold on his opponent and walked back towards the group. Rox's heart fell. Did this mean that she wouldn't pass? She trudged back to the group, trying her hardest to hide her immense disappointment. She stood, slightly breathless with the slight tingle of exercise, but she was able to shake it off and catch her breath.

"That was a great fight, Rox." Lynne said, patting her on the back, then she moved closer to whisper, "remember, he's a genius and a Jounin. You lasted more than ten minutes against him!" When she pulled away, Rox smiled at her for the encouragement.

"Alright, Neji, Ronni, you're up." Tsunade said after making a few notes on the scroll she brought with her.

"Good luck, Ronni," the other three girls gave Ronni their thumbs up with hopeful smiles.

Roxanne leaned towards the other two, and asked, "You think she'll win?"

"No," Lynne and Fred answered simultaneously, both shaking their heads.

Roxanne laughed at their answer. "Me neither."

Ronni stepped into the ring, directly in front of Neji, who scowled at her. He got into his fighting position, while Ronni just stood there staring at him, like a deer caught in head-lights. Neji could tell she was completely out of her element. He smirked and yelled, "Byakugan! Eight trigrams! Two palms!" then dove in for his attack. His hands were poised with chakra and aimed for the kill strike. He wanted this to end quickly.

His hand landed in between her breasts, a kill hit … if it had made contact. The area that Neji's hand had occupied currently consisted of water, so his attack was worthless.

Ronni frowned at Neji and slapped him. "How dare you touch my boobs!" Ronni scolded. Neji frowned again and tried with the same hand, this time in the shoulder. "You know, the definition of 'Insanity' is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results," Ronni smiled. Neji's eyes were wide at her impeccable defense. He back flipped away from her, and accepted a new attack pose.

"Four Palms!" he yelled, and it had a similar outcome. "Eight Palms … Sixteen Palms … Thirty-two Palms!" By now, his hands were moving so fast, Ronni had no way to block him except to become water. Neji couldn't believe his eyes. Ronni's entire being became water and she splooshed into a puddle. The puddle moved as if the water were spreading. And suddenly she rose as the puddle disappeared and it built her being again. She was far enough away that he couldn't launch an attack before she was able to block.

The only movement she made was she rose her hand and water flew up from the water ways underground, surrounding Neji in a bubble of raging water. Neji struggled, trying to escape. Everyone on the sidelines was gaping in disbelief.

"I think I won," Ronni stated, smiling, and looking at everyone else. Then she dropped Neji on the ground, wet and spluttering for air.

"Ronni," Lynne started, her mouth still agape, like the rest of the group.

"How in the world did you beat him?" Fred asked her little sister, her eyebrows furrowed in a surprisingly confused facial expression.

"Are you actually smart and feigning stupidity?" Rox asked, her face also contorted into confusion.

"You guys know what I always say. 'You guys don't understand that the stupid things I do are really smart,'" Ronni smiled, turning away from the group.

Tsunade blinked in her confusion. Ronni always acted stupidly, but she just beat one of Konoha's best geniuses of battle IN battle. Deciding to think on it further later, she announced the next fight, between Sakura and Fred.

They stood in battle positions, eyeing each other slowly. "Good luck, Sakura-san!" they heard Lee yell. Rox, being the competitive girl that she was, yelled to her best friend, "You beat that pink-haired punk with a switch!"

"You know," Fred said, smirking evilly at Sakura. Fred pointed her hand down, and a flimsy twig grew from the ground, and shot into Fred's expectant hand. "That sound like a plan. You ready?"

Sakura lunged at her opponent, arm full of chakra, ready to splinter Fred's body. Fred dodged and spun, hitting Sakura's back with the switch. Sakura swung her elbow around, catching Fred in the jaw. Fred jumped back, holding her jaw, which was throbbing with pain. She shook it off and yelled to Sakura, "Is that all you got?" as she grew another switch and caught it in her other hand. Sakura sneered at the comment. "Well then come on!" Sakura lunged with a punch, which Fred blocked with one switch, and she beat Sakura five times in rapid motion with the other switch. Sakura punched Fred in the stomach with her weaker arm, just to get away from the beatings. They both stepped away, wheezing and holding their stomachs, where each had caused the other pain. "Can you continue?" Fred wheezed.

Sakura shook her head. She could barely move due to the welts the switches caused forming on her body.

"Me neither," Fred said in a laughing wheeze. So the match ended in a tie. Fred made her way back to the sidelines, dropping to sit once she got there.

Then Tsunade called out the last match. "Lee vs. Lynne." Lee jumped into the center of the ring, as Lynne walked. They stood on opposite centers of the ring, Lee in his usual fighting stance and Lynne in a relaxed pose. Saryu gracefully opened her mind enough to hear Lee's thoughts.

Lee ran at her with an incredible kick, which contacted into something unseen. He tried to punch at her, but there was some sort of barrier, but when contact was made, it reverberated a purplish blue color.

"You think you can trick me with a barrier?" Lee asked. "Well think again!" He remembered his fight with Gaara, who also had a barrier, and started his run for a lotus.

He was running so fast, that it was almost impossible to see him. But Lynne didn't need to see him. His thoughts gave him away. She let him run his third lap before she blocked his path with a force-field. Hitting it, he bounced off, holding his face which had slapped hard against the clear wall. Suddenly Lynne started laughing.

"What is so funny?" Lee demanded.

"Nothing, it's just, what just happened with you running really fast in circles and then running into my force-field, that was a scene in a movie my friends and I frequently watch," Lynne laughed.

"Please do not play any games with me," Lee scolded, running back at her. He punched again, and tried running fast again then moving in for a punch, but it always turned out the same way. He came in contact with her unbreakable barrier. Lynne just laughed at his attempts.

She smiled at a confused Lee who wouldn't back down. "It's time to end this little scrimmage," she stated. Quickly, she trapped him in a barrier and held him above the ground. She shrunk the ball slowly until Tsunade could see that he was being compressed into a ball. Then she let him go, letting him fall to the ground. Lynne walked over to him and offered him a hand up.

"Thank you," he said, taking her hand.

"It's nothing. Just next time, don't think you can beat someone who can read your mind. It's impossible, because they know the next move you're going to make and how to block it," Lynne offered.

His eyes got huge. "You can read minds?" With that, Lynne walked off, leaving Lee to his fascination of her power.

The four girls lined up in front of Tsunade, who looked at them with scrutinizing eyes. "After what I've seen today from you four, I have decided to make you ninjas of Konoha. But you are already past the level of normal genin, so I'll go ahead and push you to chuunin. But, I do believe none of you used chakra in those bouts, because none of you know how. Correct?" The four girls nodded their heads. "Well then, you need to be taught how to use chakra correctly as soon as possible. Shikamaru, I'm assigning you to teach Roxanne. I will get Kakashi to teach Lynne. Sakura, I'm assigning you to teach Fred. And lastly, I'm assigning you, Neji, to teach Ronni. You are all dismissed."

* * *

Gaara stood on his room's balcony, which connected to the other rooms' balconies. He always loved looking at the night sky, and it was currently nearing midnight. He wasn't too tired now, but the previous days' travel had left him feeling drained. Today, the council had let him rest and tomorrow, he would get back to work.

"Hey," he heard a female voice behind him. Startled, he spun around to see Cordi's brown almost black eyes staring at him. She held her hands up in a calming gesture and said, "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." He gave her a pointed look, then turned back to look at the heavenly stars, placing his hands back on the balcony wall. "So," she sighed, "You and Matsuri, huh?"

"What? No!" Gaara replied as if she were crazy. Even though it was dark, she could see that his face contradicted his words. He was blushing and his eyes were wide. She laughed. She had never seen Gaara like this, drawn or in real life. He suddenly looked down and asked, "Am I that transparent?"

"Well, your facial expressions give you away. It's about as subtle as a train wreck," Cordi replied, laughing a little pointing to his face. Then he sighed, as if troubled. "But, then again, you have to be able to read body language to notice. And, yes, your body language was screaming it to me, but I don't think anyone else noticed," she comforted.

He sighed again with relief. "Good, because it's supposed to be a secret," he explained, looking away from Cordi.

"To tell the truth, I could never see you two together," she stated. She hopped up on the balcony wall, so she was sitting, facing him. "You wanna' talk about it?"

"Not really," he answered, not looking at her.

"Don't bottle, it's not healthy," Cordi ordered.

"Bottle?" he asked, eyes narrowed as if in question.

"Yeah. Bottling emotions, like you get pissed at someone, but you hold it down, and don't tell anyone, until you can't hold in your emotions anymore, and you blow up," she explained. His eyes widened, as if thinking he would actually explode. "Figuratively speaking, of course. I doubt you want to go nuts on an un-suspecting passer-by, right?"He nodded. "Now, the best way to get rid of the pent-up emotions is to discuss them with someone who is neutral in the matter, someone who doesn't really care about what happened, but is willing to listen, a friend.

"I bottle, too, sometimes, but if I'm having an issue, I tend to rant about it to my sister or one of my friends, until the feeling passes. So, I'm giving you a chance to open that bottle, and tell me what's going on, and what's bothering you about it," Cordi offered. Then she tilted her head to the side, a grimace on her face. "Or, if you'd rather, you can keep bottling until it becomes too much for you to handle, and an innocent someone who is asking to borrow a paper-clip gets pummeled with sand." She winced a bit at the scenario. Gaara thought about his options for a little bit.

"Well," he said, then hopped up onto the balcony wall to sit next to her, "Matsuri and I have known each other for six or seven years. She was the first person in this village to accept me." He smiled a little. "She'd always drop by, even when I became Kazekage, to discuss ninja theory with me, if she wasn't getting something. Sometimes, she just came by to hang out." His smile seemed to drop as he continued. "But a couple months ago, it began to heat up. And I mean really heat up, like the kissing, and the sex. Especially the sex." His tone reminded Cordi of a hormone-crazed, sex-obsessed teenager. And it was obvious to her that he had forgotten he was sharing this information with someone other than himself. Cordi rose an eyebrow and pursed her lips, showing a small uncomfortable smile. "Sorry, too much information," Gaara blushed.

"No, please continue. It's just, uhm," She rambled a little. "Just continue."

"Well, during one of our conversations a couple months ago, we both realized we had feelings for each other, so we decided to start seeing each other. But she told me that she wanted to keep it a secret because teacher/student relationships aren't really thought well of. Also, she felt that she would be considered a gold-digger. So, I've tried my hardest to follow her request to keep it a secret, but it's harder than I thought it would be," Gaara explained. His eyes held a sorrowful gleam in them. "I mean, all the sneaking around. It's exciting, but it's a bit tedious. Sometimes, I just want to take her to the park and kiss her, or walk around town and hold her hand."

Cordi laughed and said, "I had no idea you were so romantic."

"Thanks for the encouragement," Gaara glared.

"Sorry," Cordi chuckled. "Do you want my advice?" He looked at her, a non-existent eyebrow raised. "Keep it a secret. But don't hold the relationship too close to your heart. In the experiences I have seen, the relationships you keep a secret don't normally end well. For example, your family might not agree, which could cause a rip in the relationship between both your family and your significant other. Take Romeo and Juliet for example."

"Who are they?" Gaara asked.

Cordi just blinked at him. "You don't know?" He shook his head. "Well, they are two people who had what we call Love-At-First-Sight, but they were born in two families who had been feuding against each other for centuries, probably over some book that wasn't returned, but whatever. They got married and decided to keep it a secret, and then Juliet's cousin found out."

"Well, what happened to them?" Gaara asked, curiously.

"Well, after a long and ridiculous plot twist, where Romeo is banished for killing Juliet's cousin after a duel the cousin started, Juliet tries to escape by pretending she's dead. Romeo hears of her so called 'death' in the next town over, and commits suicide. After she wakes up, she finds out Romeo committed suicide, so she decides to, as well. The End," Cordi summarized. "But that's beside the point. The fact is, they kept their relationship a secret, and it ended very badly."

"I guess you're right," Gaara grimaced and looked back at the stars.

"And if you have any more need to rant about something. Come find me and talk to me. I have a pretty good open mind," Cordi added. Gaara nodded. "Well, I'm kinda' tired. I'm gonna go ahead and go to sleep. Good night."

"Good night," Gaara replied. "Oh, and Cordi?"

She turned around to face him and asked, "Hm?"

"Thank you," Gaara answered. "And I have set our bout for Monday, 11:00. That's three days from now."

"You're welcome, and thanks," Cordi replied with a wave, then walked back to her bedroom.

**AN:** Haha, yeah, can someone say TMI for Gaara? Anyway, thanks for reading this! Please remember to review! And I'm warning you now, it's about to get dark!


	9. Chapter 8

**AN:** All I have to say is, you all are great! Another hundred views in one day! I'm so glad to see you all enjoy my writing!

And to GrimSpeck18, thanks for your un ending support!

OH!!! And if you like this chapter, like I do, you will want to check out princessSiyaka, because she wrote all the Roxanne/Shikamaru stuff that happens in this chapter, because I didn't know how to describe it and she does.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill.

**Chapter Eight: Clumsy Roxanne, Noble Shikamaru**

Roxanne woke up the next morning, similar to the day before. She wasn't used to waking up early in the summer. But, she reluctantly rolled out of bed and got dressed for the day. Shikamaru told her to meet at the gate for training at 10:00 in the morning. It was nine when she got up, but by the time she'd get there she'd be right on time, which was a complete surprise considering she was never on time for anything.

Her almost black hair was messy and a little curly. Too lazy to brush through it, she grabbed a hair tie and pulled onto her wrist. She pulled on a hot pink tank top and black sweatpants, slipping on a pair of shoes on her way out.

Before she left her apartment, she took a breath of her inhaler, setting it back on the counter while she held her breath for the drug to take effect. Then she grabbed her fannie-pack and sprinted out the door.

She was just on time for her meeting, and Shikamaru stood there waiting. "Alright, let's go," he said, starting their run out into the forest surrounding Konoha. They finally found a small clearing in the trees, where they stopped. He turned to her, staring at her lazily with his hands in his pockets. "Alright, let's start with the essence of chakra, then we can move on to using and manipulating it," he started. Rox sat and stared up at him expectantly. He took a seat in front of her and folded his arms, eyes closed and thinking, obviously on how to start the lesson. "First, every being has chakra flowing through their body, kind of like the circulatory system. It flows to every inch of your body, starting here—" he indicated the center of his chest, "—and comes back to that same point and circulates again. That's called the chakra network," he paused, making sure Rox was following what he was saying. She nodded, letting him know he could continue, her hair falling in front of her eyes. She took the wayward strand and pulled it behind her ear. "Ok, so chakra manipulation… I can feel my chakra network circulate through my body. I take hold of the pull and draw it out. Once I have a solid hold of it I can form it or push it into an object."

"Kind of like when Gaara infuses his chakra into his sand." Rox offered, thinking of her own examples. Shikamaru looked a little surprised but nodded. "And, I know this is more along the lines of ninjustu, but I've always been curious how you manipulate shadows."

Shikamaru was slightly taken aback. He pondered what to say for a moment. "Well, only a Nara can manipulate shadows. It's about as natural to me as running. But that also means it causes me about as much physical exertion over a prolonged period of time as running does. I guess you're aware that there are different kinds of chakras as well, chakras that are specific to an element." Rox nodded, showing him she knew what he was talking about. "The Nara's chakra is shadow specific. That's why I can control shadows."

"That makes perfect sense! I'm surprised that I didn't think of that sooner…. So anyway, about chakra manipulation… if a person has never done it before, and has no idea what it feels like… how do they use it?" Rox asked, pulling blades of grass out of the ground and ripping them in two.

"Yes, that's the difficult part. Alright, I'm going to describe the sensation of chakra flow so maybe you will be able to copy. First, you have to find that flow of chakra within your body. When you find it, it's like finding a river flowing from a hidden but no less deep reservoir. It feels like a hum, vibrating with its energy." Shikamaru then shut his eyes and concentrated. "Once you find that flow, pull it out." He proceeded to draw out his chakra, making his hands glow slightly. "And there you go. The trick is to concentrate. Put your whole mind into drawing it out, and you will. At first, it takes a while and a lot of concentration, but then you get used to it and everything becomes faster." He released the chakra flow and his hands quit glowing that faint blue. "Now you try."

Rox nodded and closed her eyes, searching for that flow, that hum Shikamaru had described. She concentrated her hardest, eyes squeezed shut and eyebrows furrowed. After a moment, she heard him laugh quietly.

"You have to be calm, Rox, otherwise it will be more difficult for you to find it," he instructed. His face held an amused smirk, making Rox bite the inside of her lip. But she continued to try. She remembered the trick she and Cordi used to try by completely relaxing their minds to the point of almost thinking nothing. She focused on a blank space in her mind, as a calm meditative peace overtook her. Then she could feel the slight movement running through her body, from her heart, to her arms and legs, and back again, looping around her brain. She put her hands together, pushing this feeling toward them. They tingled and burned a little with the steady pushing. When she opened her eyes, she saw her hands glowing, and she smiled. "You're doing it," Shikamaru stated in a bored tone.

The elation Rox experienced was relatively short-lived. She found that once she lost concentration, she lost the flow and would have to find it again. "Ugh! It's like trying to keep water in your hands!" Shikamaru laughed a little at the comment.

"That's what the training's for. It took me a couple years to fully master my chakra," he said encouragingly. Rox sighed and looked up at him.

"But you're a genius, and you would have been way ahead of your class if you had been a little more motivated. I'm afraid that even if I try as hard as I can, I won't be able to master it quickly enough!" Rox shot back at him. For the third time that day, Shikamaru looked surprised. He scratched his head full of black hair, eyebrows furrowed.

"Well… I wouldn't say I'm a genius—"

"Don't be modest, Shikamaru. You're a helluva lot smart than you let on," she replied, cutting him off and looking down, letting her dark curls fall in front of her face. "It actually makes me feel very…." She paused and looked back up at him. He raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for her to finish her sentence. "It makes me feel like I'm not… ugh, just whatever." Rox looked away from the amused flicker in his dark eyes.

"It took me weeks just to get where you are now, and my parents did not let me slack off when it came to chakra training," Shikamaru said in a bored tone, leaning back on his palms. Rox scoffed at him, obviously not believing what he was saying to her. "I'm serious, now keep trying. Once you can hold that chakra in place for more than a minute, we'll move on to the next step."

"And what's that?" Rox asked, brown eyes curious.

"We're going to see how well you run up trees," Shikamaru stated, lazily staring up at the sky.

"Really? Already?" Rox asked, surprised. He nodded, looking away from the clouds and back at her. "Alright…" She said and closed her eyes again, hands together and concentrating. She found the chakra much quicker this time and pulled the vibrating energy to the surface through her hands, trying to keep it there as long as possible. Sweat appeared on her brow as she fought to keep the humming chakra in her hands, but no matter how hard she fought to keep it there, it would ebb away within twenty seconds. She exhaled a breath she didn't know she had been keeping locked away in her lungs. She tried again and kept the chakra in her palms for longer. Each time she tried, she got remarkably better, until she held the chakra in her palms for more than a minute.

"Ok, you're ready for the next step," Shikamaru stood and offered Rox a hand, who took it. "The key to running up trees is to focus all your chakra into your feet, instead of your hands. This is quite a bit harder than holding it in your hands, but you'll see that no doubt," he sighed, hands in pockets and lazily walked over to a very large tree on the edge of the clearing. Rox nodded, and pulled her hair back, exposing her neck. Shikamaru turned away from her, taking his hands out of his pockets and faced the tree. He took one foot and placed it on the tree, then he put the other foot on the tree and walked up to an incredibly high branch. He looked down at her, but to him it was looking up, arms folded. "I was able to walk up this tree because of my training. You will have to be quick, because you are not in full control of your chakra. Alright, now you have to try to get up to this branch," he called.

Rox nodded again and took a breath. Pulling out a Kunai knife, she put her right foot on the trunk of the tree and focused all her chakra into it, then did the same with the other. She put her left in front of the other and sprinted up the tree, marking her end point with a strike to the bark. Quickly, she back-flipped off the trunk and landed square on her feet on the ground. She took another breath and tried again. After every sprint up the tree, her airways became harder to breathe through. After one relatively high sprint, she landed on the ground on shaky feet, wheezing.

"Shikamaru…. I think I need… a quick break," she gasped between breaths. By now, Shikamaru was sitting on the high branch, lazily leaning against the trunk of the tree and staring up at the clouds. He looked down at her with an eyebrow raised and arms folded.

"No, I don't think so. You can do this Rox, just keep trying," he replied lazily, looking back up at the clouds.

Rox gave a strange cough as she gasped, "no… I really… need a break!" He looked back down at her, watched as she held the tree for support and her knees gave out. There was something wrong with the way she was breathing. She wheezed and gasped as she twisted to search in her fanny-pack for something. She cursed when she didn't find whatever it was and pounded the ground with a fist. She looked up at him, sitting in the high branch, and said, "I need…. to get back…. to my apartment! My… inhaler… is there!" She sounded as if she were choking on the words. Obviously, she did not have enough breath to even speak so he leapt off the top branch and landed beside her.

Kneeling next to her, he put a hand on her back. "Can you walk?" he asked, watching her cough and wheeze. She nodded and began to stand, accepting his offered hand. They began their walk back to the village as tears began to roll down her cheeks and she coughed and panted, all the while sounding a little more strangled. He realized that she was beginning to panic. "Rox, it'll be ok, you just have to calm down," he said, rubbing her back reassuringly. A small sob escaped her, and her next breath was more choked than before. "If you keep crying, it's gonna be harder for you to breathe, just calm down." Rox nodded, as if she had hard all this before, but she couldn't stop, and her breathing got worse.

* * *

Gaara stood in the Suna main arena, waiting for Cordi to arrive. She was currently five minutes late to the test, and Gaara wasn't really known for his patience. He continued to scowl at the main entrance for the young woman to arrive, just so when she did arrive, she would know that she was in deep trouble.

The echoing of footfalls was heard suddenly just outside the arena. "Excuse me. Sorry. Pardon me," was heard along with those footsteps. Cordi then skidded into the fighting area, dust clouds forming around her feet from the sand she had sprayed from her feet sliding across the arena floor.

Gaara, still scowling, growled, "You're late."

"Yeah, I know," Cordi sighed. She quickly took some long breaths, trying to calm her lungs down. "I'm sorry, I'd give you a reason, but I really don't have one."

Gaara's narrowed eyes bored into her, showing her how pissed off he0 was. "Ready yourself," he growled. Then his sand sprung into action.

* * *

By the time Shikamaru and Rox reached her apartment, she was incapable of supporting her own weight. Her arm was around his shoulder and she leaned against him. His arm around her waist was the only thing keeping her standing. She coughed out more air than she wheezed in, and her sobs had turned to suffocated gasps.

"Where is your inhaler?!" Shikamaru demanded earlier, setting her in a chair in her living room.

She barely got enough air in to breathe, "bathroom…" Shikamaru nodded, but only got into her bedroom when he heard a dull thud from the other room. He dashed back and saw that Rox had slid out of the chair and was currently writhing on the floor. Shikamaru recognized a seizure when he saw one, but he was unsure what to do. Suddenly, a twitching of her neck propelled her head into the chair leg then onto the floor. Her arms flailed and her shoulders shook. He knelt beside her convulsing body and waited for her to lie still.

Finally she did, and he scooped her up in his arms and sprinted out the door. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Shikamaru tried to wake her up as he headed toward the looming building that was the hospital. Her head lolled in his arms, completely unconscious. He touched down just outside the building and sprinted inside.

"Help!!" Shikamaru shouted as he ran into the stark white building. Immediately, medi-nin came sprinted down the hallway as he knelt down, laying Rox on the floor.

"What happened?!" demanded one of the medi-nin, sweeping her hands over Rox's body.

"I was training her chakra manipulation, and she had a breathing problem. It was like she was being strangled." Shikamaru explained, stepping back to let them do their work. "She just had a seizure."

"Her airway is constricted!" Another medi-nin exclaimed, putting his hand to her neck. The hand glowed green as the chakra began to flow. When the medi-nin took his hand, he asked for an oxygen mask, attached it to Rox's face and then he and the other medi-nin lifted her onto a gurney. As they were wheeling Rox away, pumping air into her lungs, one of the medi-nin detached herself from the group and jogged back to Shikamaru.

"We don't quite know what's wrong with her, but maybe her friends will. Please go find them," she said, and when he nodded once in reply, she sprinted after the retreating group of medi-nin. Shikamaru sighed, turned, and sprinted out in search of Rox's friends.

* * *

Cordi feinted to the left, narrowly dodging the avalanche of sand. She threw a fireball at the redhead, who quickly blocked it with his sand cloud. He had been standing in the same spot throughout their so far thirty-minute fight. She tried her becoming fire technique, but it didn't work so well against his sand. She knew it was almost impossible for her to win.

She feinted back to the right, spinning around, firing two more fireballs at him. He blocked them again. Then she rushed him, feinting each time he threw enough sand to break several bones at her. When she got close enough, she held her hand out for her flame-thrower move. She ran around him holding up her hand spraying fire at him. She didn't realize soon enough that she was about to run into a wall of sand, which collapsed on her. Then, as with many of his victims, he pulled the sand up holding her. She gave him a look of fear, because she knew what was happening.

"And you'd be dead if this wasn't a scrimmage bout," Gaara smirked. He let her go and started to walk out.

"Sir, this just came from Konoha. They sent it on their fastest eagle, so we figured it was important," the messenger ninja explained as he ran into the arena.

Gaara quickly looked at the message and asked, "Did you read it?"

"No, we rushed it to you as quickly as possible," the messenger said.

"Well, if you read it, you would have known you shouldn't have rushed it to me, but to Ms. Cordelia here," Gaara scolded. The messenger blushed a little and looked down. "You are lucky that she is standing right here and we didn't have to look all over Suna for her." He handed it to Cordi who unrolled the parchment and read it quickly.

"Oh my God," Cordi gasped. She quickly dropped the scroll and sprinted to the exit.

"Wait, Cordi, what happened," Gaara asked, running after her. Cordi kept running. "Cordelia, I can't permit you to leave unless you give me good enough reason," Gaara informed.

Cordi spun around, a slight glare in her eyes, as she snarled, "My sister just had an asthma attack which gave her a seizure and is now hospitalized with what they think is a coma. Is that good enough for you!?" Gaara was silent. "Yeah, that's what I thought!"

She started to sprint away again when she heard Gaara say behind her, "Give me five minutes."

She turned again. "Excuse me?"

"I'm going to escort you. Meet me at the front gate with Aleera in five minutes. I have to give Kankuro his duties," Gaara explained. Cordi gave him a confused and shocked look. "We are going to ride Aleera there, right?"

"Yeah, I'm just surprised that you'd go with me," Cordi stated, still holding the confused expression and adding a head shake.

"Don't be," he stated, before running ahead to the Kazekage building.

**AN:** You may have noticed that I've changed the setting from Teen to Mature. If you have, the reason is that the next couple chapters are going to get graphic. I'm warning you now, so don't be surprised! Also, please remember to review! Thanks!


	10. Chapter 9

**AN:** All I have to say is, you all are great! If you are reading this, I have already reached 400 views, because of you fine people! And only in a week and a half! DO YOU KNOW HOW HAPPY THAT MAKES ME FEEL?!?!?!

And to Thomas Drovin, you still make me laugh hysterically. Thanks! Yes, I do know about the Shikamaru/Temari relationship. But remember this is when they are 20/23, respectively. It's been four years since Shippuden is currently situated. I will state what happened with them at the first wedding, which should be around chapter … I want to say twenty, but I'm not entirely sure. It might be a little later, but not a lot. Maybe a chapter earlier, but that is when I'll tell the tale of Shikamaru and Temari. No, I am not going to say who is the couple that gets married… all I can say is that it will be unexpected… that is until chapter seventeen or eighteen. Most likely seventeen, considering I'm already writing chapter sixteen, and I've almost got to the second major plot twist. The first one is in here, so please, enjoy the chapter.

And to princessSiyaka, I honestly have no idea why you are reviewing… you helped write the last chapter. So you already knew what was going to happen. But I'm glad you did anyway!

And to the rest of you who would like to know what is going to happen, REVIEW!!! You'd be surprised at how much I'm willing to reveal, like above in my reply to Drovin.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill.

**Chapter Nine: A Sister's Devotion**

Gaara successfully found his older brother playing videogames in their living room. "Kankuro, I don't have time to explain, but Cordi and I are making a quick trip to Konoha. I'm placing you as acting Kazekage. Now, I have to go pack. Here is a written order to prove that I have given you this duty," Gaara explained, handing Kankuro a loose-leaf sheet of paper with a note saying 'I'm placing Kankuro Subaku as acting Kazekage. Signed, Gaara Subaku, Hondaime Kazekage.'

He turned to run upstairs, until Kankuro stopped him with, "Uh, why?"

"I just told you I don't have time to explain," Gaara growled impatiently.

"Yeah. But what about if the council asks me?" Kankuro asked. "What should I tell them?"

Just then, Cordi ran in saying as she ran by, "I forgot I need to pack. I'm not leaving until I know she is awake and healthy!"

Kankuro pointed at Cordi and asked, "Eh?"

Gaara grimaced and explained the situation with Roxanne and that he was escorting Cordi to Konoha. "Oh my God, is she ok?" Kankuro asked.

Gaara blinked at his sometimes daft brother. "She's in a coma just after having a seizure. I don't think she's fine," Gaara stated in an obvious tone. "Look, I gotta' pack. But don't change too much of Suna before I get back. We shouldn't be gone too long."

He ran upstairs and quickly grabbed a bag and rammed a couple outfits in it. His sand snatched up his hygienic supplies from the bathroom and dropped them in. After finishing his packing and hastily zipping up his bag, he grabbed his sand gourd sitting in the corner and strapped the gourd to his brown vest. Running out of his room and practically flying down the stairs, he greeted an annoyed Cordi.

"Come on!" Cordi said, practically sprinting out the door, Gaara on her heels.

When they reached the gate, Aleera was glaring at them in annoyance. "You guys are late," she growled. Her red scales glistened in the mid-day sunlight.

"I know, sorry," Cordi replied. Aleera offered them a paw up and waited for them to get situated. "Now, we aren't cruising like last time. I want you to go full speed ahead. Got it?" Aleera nodded and jumped into the heavens in a timely manner, eliciting a small squeal from the unsuspecting Kazekage, who tried to pass it off as a sneeze. "Oh, yeah. Hold on," Cordi laughed. She didn't know why, but she felt better when she rode Aleera. It was as if riding her dragon took away all her worries, and her worry of her sister's health was lessened. Not completely, but just enough for her to enjoy the breeze and be more like herself, not like a squirrel when it sees a human.

"Uh-huh," Gaara replied nervously, which was kind of strange. "Um, where exactly should I hold on."

"You can hold on around my waist," Cordi answered. She didn't quite catch his blushing, but she did notice his nervous arms wrapping around her waist, holding her in an awkward embrace. "Are you really that nervous?" she asked him.

"Well, I'm in the air with only wind underneath my feet, so yeah, a little," he replied, holding a little tighter as Aleera made a slight turn to avoid a cloud. Aleera muttered her apologies and saying something about not wanting to get wet. Cordi and Gaara weren't paying attention.

"Haven't you flown before? I've seen you fly on your sand," Cordi replied with an eyebrow raised.

"Uh, well, on my sand, it's more like hovering, so no," he replied. He turned his head around, now getting the full effect of the wind blowing his hair in his face. Sunagakure, his beloved village, was now almost a dot on the horizon, and shrinking. "She seems, to be going really fast. Do you think we'll get there before the end of tomorrow?" Then he seemed to remember something. "You said you guys were just cruising the other time?"

Aleera and Cordi ignored his last question. Aleera laughed at his first question and replied, "We'll most likely get there in an hour or so if I keep going at this speed."

"Oh," he replied. He never thought going to Konoha could be a day trip. "Well, if this is your full speed, how fast was your cruising speed? It's gotta' be faster than what you told us."

"I felt that it would be poor taste to tell you that we had arrived at the border ten or eleven hours before you did," Cordi replied. Gaara's mouth dropped at that. "But it's considerably slower than she's going now," Cordi added.

"So her cruise speed would take us anywhere from three to six hours?" Gaara asked.

"Yay!" Aleera cheered. "He can do simple math! Now, let's try harder stuff. What's the square root of 113?"

Gaara scowled at her and growled, "It's a prime number."

"Oh, he's a smart one," Aleera replied, her gravelly voice dripping with sarcasm. "You'd better keep him, Cordi." Cordi laughed nervously at her dragon, while Gaara continued to glare at both of them.

It was only ten or twenty minutes later that they flew over their first camp area from a week ago. And sooner than they had expected, Konoha was beneath their feet. Aleera landed and helped Gaara and Cordi down, and suddenly her worries were back. They didn't even greet the normal Konohan gate ninjas, for they were in a rush. Cordi sprinted her way over to the hospital of the Hidden Leaf Village, Gaara running behind her trying to keep pace. His gourd wasn't very helpful with his speed, and when she wanted to run fast, she could run _fast_. She barely let the automatic doors open before she ran in stopping at the front desk.

"Roxanne Turner," Cordi barely breathed.

The nurse on call quickly looked at her clipboard and replied, "Room 118, down the hall to your left."

"Thank you," Cordi replied in the same tone as before, just before she and Gaara tore off down the hall.

"She hasn't woken up yet," the nurse added. But they didn't hear her. They rounded the corner and found Shikamaru, Fred, Ronni, and Lynne sitting outside of a room. Lynne was twirling a lock of red hair around her index finger, her eyes looking off in the distance. Ronni was biting her nails, her eyes looking similar. Fred had her arms crossed, as if she were trying to comfort herself, and her leg was jumping up and down from her twitching foot. Her eyes looked exactly like her friends. Shikamaru leaned against the hospital wall, his arms also crossed, but in a closed off fashion, and eyes holding determination.

Cordi walked inside the hospital room, while Gaara stood outside with everyone else. Her older sister lay in an almost death-like stillness. They had her hooked up to a respiratory machine. She had a wire linked to her chest, taking count of her heart beats per minute. This wasn't the kind of sleeping conditions Cordi was used to seeing in her sister.

Suddenly, she felt tears start to burn her eyes as a ravenous rage built in her stomach. Trying to quiet both her rage and her tears for a little while, she ultimately lost her will to battle them and stormed out into the hallway, tears flowing on her face like rivers. As soon as her stride brought her to Shikamaru, she had him by the collar, twisting it in her iron grip. Her face was twisted into a rabid snarl, showing white teeth and pink gums.

"What did you do to her?" she asked in a feral growl. Shikamaru just gave her a sympathetic stare for an instant, and then changed into his normal indifferent expression. "WELL!?"

"Would you let me go?" Shikamaru asked as if he were entitled to such an order.

"Only after I get some answers," Cordi growled even more menacingly. "What happened? What did you do to her?"

They didn't notice all three of the other girls were looking at him, along with Gaara, who's face held a curious yet impatient countenance. Shikamaru's face fell to a defeated look. "I had just started her on the next level of chakra training, running up trees. She did it a few times and then asked for a break. I told her to try it again a couple more times, because I hadn't heard her breathing. It wasn't till I saw her rummaging through her pack like crazy did I notice how wheezy she had started to sound. When I asked her what she was looking for, she told me it was her inhaler and that she thought she left it at her apartment. So I helped her get back to her apartment, but by the time we got there, she was in full panic mode and barely breathing. She told me she thought she left it in her bathroom and I ran in to look for it. But when I reached her bedroom, I heard something falling to the floor. I ran back to see what had happened only to find her convulsing on the floor due to lack of air. I rushed her here as quickly as I could, but I think I was a bit too late," he explained. His eyes were full of regret and sorrow.

But Cordi's anger refused to let her see that. She had let him go, but her hands were balled into fists at her sides. "I think 'a bit' is a little too kind on your part," Cordi snarled. "Maybe if you had let her take a break earlier this wouldn't have happened, or even asked her if she had brought her inhaler!"

"How was I supposed to know she had a slight breathing disability?" Shikamaru snarled back. Instantly, he regretted it.

Faster than he could notice, Cordi gave him a powerful back-handed slap, making his head spin to the side. And with his lazy attitude, he decided to keep his head facing that way. "My sister is not disabled! And the smart thing to do would have been to ask. Say I had a food allergy, like to shellfish. You wouldn't see me wearing a sign saying so on my shirt."

"No," Shikamaru agreed, turning his head to face his accuser, "but if you are entering a working field like this, where it's very active, we do need to know about everything that might be a risk to your health with the profession. We may not know or have even heard about a medical malady you have because it's from your world not ours, if you've forgotten! And if I had cause to think she needed an inhaler before, I would have asked about it. Next time, I'll remind her!" Shikamaru stood up, making Cordi back away. He bent over her slightly, since he was around Six' one" and she was five' six", and added, "Now, I have a better place to be than at this blame-storming session." With that, he walked away from the group.

Cordi ran back into the room to her sister's bedside, quickly grabbing a chair and sitting next to her. She grasped Rox's hand and rubbed it soothingly with her thumb. Everyone from the hallway walked in and joined her. Fred sat on Rox's other side with Lynne. Ronni stood behind Cordi, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Cordi grasped it with her free hand and burst into sobs. Gaara stood in the corner by the door, watching the spectacle.

"I – I – I just can't help feeling so – ," Cordi suddenly was overwhelmed with sobs, making her breath kind of funny. " – helpless," she finally let out. "The last time my sister was in the hospital was when she was five and I was four. My mom told me Roxanne had almost completely bitten her tongue off and was getting stitches to get it sewed back on. I didn't know what she had meant at the time, but I felt I was helping Rox because Mom and I were supposed to pick her up later in the afternoon, and before we left, I had made sure I had grabbed her Care-Bear security blanket along with mine, so she wasn't so scared when she woke up in a strange building." She sobbed again. "But there's nothing I can do to help her out of this."

The other girls comforted her as she broke down into uncontrollable weeping. After several hours, each girl had to leave. It was nearing midnight when Gaara nudged Cordi and said, "Hey, we should go. We can come back in the morning." Cordi gave a weak nod and got up.

But before she left, she kissed her sister on the forehead and said, "Goodnight, I love you." It was obvious she wished her sister would have woken up at that moment and said, "Goodnight. I love you too!" But she knew better than to get her hopes up. She rubbed her sister's head and discovered a small bump, but it didn't look serious.

* * *

Kankuro had reported to the Kazekage office as asked by his younger brother. The council wasn't too pleased with the Kazekage's short noticed trip, but what could they do? The desk he sat at was currently covered with paperwork. He had no idea how Gaara handled it. So much paperwork would drive him nuts. Suddenly, he heard a knocking on the office door and it squeaked open. "Gaara-sama?" he heard a girl ask.

Kankuro looked up to see Matsuri standing in the doorway and said, "No, it's just me." He loved seeing Matsuri. It always brightened his day. She smiled back at him. "Was there something you wanted?" he smirked at her.

"Well, just a question on some basic theory," Matsuri replied, walking over to Kankuro and sitting in his lap. "But now that I think about it, I think I get it." She leaned in close to him, and he smiled.

"Good," he replied, closing the gap between them both, engaging her in a passionate kiss. When he broke the kiss, he told her, "I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep this secret from Gaara and Temari. I've been bursting to tell them about us for a while."

She gave him a seductive glance and replied, "Well, you're gonna have to." She smiled and pulled him into another passionate kiss and straddled his legs.

**AN:** DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN!!!!!!! Sorry, I had to put in the traditional dorky music for a plot thickening. Don't flame me for my nerdy-ness! For it is my nerdy-ness that brings you this brilliant Fan Fiction. I'm sorry this chapter is shorter than the others… like a lot shorter than the others, but I had to end it there. You should understand why. WARNING!!! The next chapter is going to be a little graphic. There is going to be sexual content… but I wouldn't consider it a lemon… I wouldn't even consider it a lime… but it is going to be sexually graphic, and you probably won't understand what I mean until you read the next chapter. Sorry!

OH!!! Remember to review! I love hearing from you guys!


	11. Chapter 10

**AN:** I'm really happy that you all are reading this and like it so much! 450 views already? Only in two weeks too! That's just awesome! Please, keep it up! Also, remember I said last time that this chapter was the reason I bumped the rating up. I also said in the last AN that this chapter had sexual content, but it isn't really considered a lemon or lime. You will probably understand when you get to that point.

And to Thomas Drovin, Sure. I'm gonna be needing some help with coming up with the bad guys. I'll send you a message when I need help, but that won't be for a while, sorry. I mean, the ultimate bad guys don't really show up until the end. But I would love help coming up for evil characters. But I'll explain what I want for the bad guys to you when that time comes. And I see you didn't comment on the fact that Kankuro was dating Matsuri… just wait till Gaara gets back! .

And to the rest of you who would like to know what is going to happen, REVIEW!!! You'd be surprised at how much I'm willing to reveal, like above in my reply to Drovin.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill.

**Chapter 10: Roxanne's Memory**

It had been two days since Cordi had gotten there and she had basically thrown Shikamaru out  
of her sister's hospital room. She was feeling really bad about it, so she decided to drop by. She stood outside his door. He lived in a small guest house next door to his parents, and it didn't take too long to find it.

She lifted a fist and rapped it against the door. She heard footsteps coming toward the door just before it was wrenched open by a disgruntled looking Nara. He glared at the dirty-blond standing in his doorway. "What?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," Cordi started. He rose an eyebrow at her. "Look, I know that Rox would want us to get along. I know it's not your fault. So I wanted to apologize for my behavior. I know you did what you could. And thank you for your effort. At least she's still alive." Shikamaru nodded, pursing his lips. "So, that's all I wanted to say. Are we cool?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru muttered. Cordi nodded and turned to leave. "How's she doing?"

"She's doing fine, but she's still in the coma," Cordi replied, smiling a little. He nodded as if he should have known. "You can join me if you want. I'm just heading down there. I read Rox her favorite book every day." She held up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, shaking it a little.

He bit his lips a little thinking, then said, "Give me a couple seconds. I gotta put on my shoes." He walked back inside, and joined her a couple moments later to walk down to the hospital to read.

* * *

Rox could feel the sun's warm rays against her face. She blinked open her eyes to see big windows. She noticed she had hospital equipment hooked up to her. She quickly removed the breathing mask and wires attached to her chest. Then she felt her chest. What were these massive lumps that seemed to be attached there?

She did what any other girl would do, scream. Apparently there was a girl who was snoozing in the chair next to the bed, who jumped immediately at the loud noise. Two other people skid into the room. One was a man who had black spiky hair pulled back into a stubby ponytail, brown eyes, and wore a black outfit with a green vest. The other one was a young woman who had long dirty blond hair that reached her mid-back and brown, almost black, eyes. She wore flared jeans, comfortable looking tennis shoes, and a black shirt that said "I'm a sucker for vampires" in red and silver lettering. Both of them had a look of urgency that suddenly turned to happiness.

"Oh, thank God!" the dirty blond girl sighed.

Rox looked at them confused and turned to look at the girl who had been snoozing next to her. This girl had chin length dark brown hair and piercing green eyes. She wore a white t-shirt and jean shorts with flip-flops. None of these people looked familiar.

"Who are you?" Rox asked looking at each of them.

The dirty blond haired girl walked over, her face disbelieving what she was hearing. "Rox, don't you remember me?" she asked, taking a seat on the hospital bed.

Rox looked at her, and then noticed a couple familiar features on the girl's face. She saw the diamond shaped scar on her forehead that was settled directly in between her eyebrows. She had a beauty mark on her upper lip. Those were the only similarities, the only ones she needed, that made the girl recognizable.

"Cordi?" Rox asked. The girl smiled and nodded. "But you're too old. Cordi's only nine." Cordi's eyes widened. She had lost so much memory. "Where am I? This isn't Round Hill."

"Rox, we're in Konoha. Remember the comic Naruto?" Cordi asked, knowing it was a long shot. "Remember Shikamaru?" The man raised his eyebrows expectantly. Rox shook her head in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Rox asked. "I don't read comics. I don't like to read anything."

"You mean you don't remember Harry Potter?" the other girl asked.

"Harry Potter? Not really. Who are you?" Rox replied.

"It's me. Fred. Your best friend?" Fred tried.

"You don't look like Fred. She has long brown hair, and it's lighter than yours. Although, you both have similar eyes," Rox explained. Fred nodded. Then she gained a confused look again. "Am I in the future?"

"No, well kind of, but not how you think. You hit your head during an asthma attack the other day…" Cordi explained.

"I have asthma now?" Rox asked. Cordi nodded.

"You lost a lot of your memory. If I'm right, you should be in your fifth-grade mind," Cordi explained.

"Yeah. I'm in Mrs. Carson's class," Rox replied.

"So, did you stab him yet?" Fred smiled.

"Who?" Rox asked.

"Warren! The guy you've hated since second grade!" Cordi replied.

"I stabbed him?" Rox asked. The girls nodded and smiled. "Awesome." Then she stopped to think. "How far along is Dragonball Z? I remember Trey was recording the Cell Saga."

Both Fred and Cordi suddenly gained sad faces. "Dragonball Z ended several years ago." Rox looked down, a little depressed. Shikamaru looked as if he had no idea what the girls were talking about.

"How old am I now?" Rox asked.

"You're eighteen, almost nineteen," Cordi replied. Just then the nurse walked in and saw she was awake.

She smiled and checked off her clipboard. "Alright, Roxanne, I'm just going to do some routine checkups, and then you will be free to go."

"Uh, but, Miss, she's lost several years of memories. You can't just let her go. She has to stay until they're all recovered," Cordi tried to convince the nurse.

The nurse just smiled, and continued checking Rox's eyes, ears, breathing, and reflexes. "I'm sorry, but we've found loss of memory to actually be recovered faster in the person's normal home. We just can't hold someone who is perfectly healthy. We have to keep some rooms open," the nurse explained. Cordi gaped at the nurse.

"But…. We're not in our normal homes either!" Fred protested. The nurse ignored both girls.

"You are perfectly healthy, and may leave," The nurse smiled to Roxanne. Everyone except the nurse looked confused as the nurse walked out.

* * *

They walked out of the hospital, not really knowing what to do. "I'll walk her home," Shikamaru offered.

"That would be great. I have to go back to the hotel and tell Gaara the news," Cordi replied. Rox looked a little betrayed. "Don't worry, you'll be fine! This is your teacher, and he wouldn't want to hurt you in any way." With that, Cordi walked off in one direction, away from the group.

"I'd go with you both, but I was going to meet Ronni and Lynne for lunch. They need to know you're out of the hospital," Fred mumbled and meandered away, obviously not wanting to leave her friend in such a confused state.

"You ready to go?" Shikamaru asked. Rox nodded, though her uncertainty was obvious. She followed him through the crowds on the street. Soon enough, they were outside her apartment complex, not that she knew really. He led her up the flight of stairs and down a hall. They stopped in front of a door, which Shikamaru unlocked and opened for her. "Here is your apartment. If you need anything, I'm in the building next door." Rox nodded and walked in. Shikamaru shut the door behind her. Rox sat down on a chair in the living room area.

"I heard you got out of the hospital," she heard echoing through her head.

"What? Who's there?" Rox asked in a panicked voice.

"Chill out, it's just me. Gryffin," she heard the voice say.

"Gryffin?" Rox asked. "Who are you?"

"I'm your dragon. You couldn't have forgotten, could you?" Gryffin asked.

Suddenly a couple images ran through her head. She saw a purple dragon that looked like a griffin hatch from a purple egg. Then another of a bigger version of the same dragon crashing through a wall with a red dragon, biting it, rolling it, and pawing at it. She lifted her hand to her head. It was such a rush, those images suddenly popping back in her head, but she still didn't remember a lot. Several more of the dragon rolling around guffawing at something and pointing at her, flashed through her mind.

"Do you remember?" Gryffin asked.

"No," Rox replied regretfully. Suddenly she felt sad, as if she had hurt another part of herself. "Sorry."

* * *

"Hey, I'm back," Cordi announced as she walked into the hotel room. They had given them a suite, like before, but this one was smaller because it wasn't the presidential suite. Apparently a feudal lord was in it at the moment. Gaara took a step into the kitchen and lounge area from their bedroom, yeah, one bedroom, which made them both uncomfortable.

"And?" Gaara asked. "You seem to be early, so what happened."

"She's awake, so the hospital let her go," Cordi stated.

Gaara smiled. "That's great news."

"Yeah, but there's a catch," Cordi added. "She has lost all her memory from when she was ten years old. She doesn't remember coming here. She actually doesn't remember anyone except for me, Fred, and Ronni, because we didn't see this comic series until four years later. It only became a TV show two or three years ago. And we didn't read much at that age."

Gaara's shoulders sagged. "She doesn't remember anything?"

"When she hit her head during the seizure, it knocked her back nine years, since she'll be nineteen in the fall and that's the season she's remembering," Cordi explained nodding her head.

Gaara walked over to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said, his eyes sincere. "I'm guessing you want to stay longer?"

"And your guess would be right," Cordi replied with a half chuckle. "At least until she gets her memory back." Gaara nodded as if to say, "That was obvious."

* * *

It was nearing eight o'clock, and Roxanne was feeling rather stir crazy. She was stuck by herself in a place she didn't know. She would look in the mirror and not even recognize herself. She had wavy brown, almost black hair, and curves. And the shirts she had in her closet showed off those curves. So she decided to go out, get some fresh air, and recognize herself with the town.

She grabbed her key, and locked her door after she had shut it behind her. She meandered around the dark streets. The shadows the buildings cast were eerie and creeped her out a little bit. She continued her walk. After a couple minutes, she started feeling a little paranoid. She could swear she heard people walking behind her, following her. She turned her head and saw a group of guys, around five of them, standing on a street corner looking at her. She turned back to her walk, but picked up her pace a little. Then she heard the group following her. She turned again, and saw them start to run after her. She ran too. Rather rapidly, she started losing her breath, which was a strange feeling. She turned into an alley against her screaming judgment to find it a dead end.

She turned around and saw she was cornered, and out of breath. Out of instinct, she threw up a hand, and a huge gust of wind burst blowing one or two of the guys away. But it wasn't enough, and she couldn't sustain the gale. Her shortness of breath was too great, and she lowered her hand to see what looked like the stronger ones of the group still standing there. Her eyes were wide with fear as the center man took a step forward, a menacing smile on his lips.

"Boys," He ordered. The two guys on his side smiled greedily at their leader. "Hold her down."

The two flunkies turned to her and took several menacing steps forward. Rox quickly took several steps back, until she hit the wall. She let out a whimper that the men laughed at. The two flunkies grabbed her wrists painfully and pushed her down on the ground, face down.

"Whatcha' gonna do, Boss?" one of the flunkies asked.

"What do you think?" he asked in a husky, yet brutal voice. Rox even knew instinctively what was going to happen. She struggled against her restraints, but it didn't work so well. She could feel the boss spreading her legs apart and his hand on the waist band of her jeans. "Quit struggling. It will only get worse," the boss growled. He ripped the back of her tank top and bra, so that they fell off her shoulders, revealing her breasts.

She continued to struggle as she yelled out to anyone, "HELP ME!! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME!!!" But as she yelled, the boss had ripped her jeans, so they had fallen down to her knees. "NO!!! PLEASE!! SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!!!! HELP ME!!!" she screamed as she felt him ready to mount her, forgetting her loss of breath.

Suddenly, there was relief on her arms and she could no longer feel the boss. Their presence was replaced with the sounds of a small battle. She curled herself into the fetal position, protecting herself from further damage. Soon enough, the fight was over, and she could sense someone hovering over her.

"Roxanne, it's me, get up. You're safe," she heard a familiar voice say. She rolled over on her back to see Shikamaru's bored face with a hidden hint of worry. She saw his brown eyes, the only part of him that showed his worry. Then suddenly, all her memories flooded her mind. Her love of reading, the comic Naruto, the end of Dragonball Z, getting asthma, meeting Lynne, coming to Konoha, getting their dragons, getting their powers and learning how to use them, Cordi going to Suna with Gaara, becoming a chuunin, her chakra training, her asthma attack, Shikamaru crouching above her just like he was doing now, and growing up in general.

She got up, taking in deep breaths. Shikamaru noticed what was happening to her and took something out of his pack. He handed it to her, which she noticed was her inhaler. She took it gratefully and took a hit from it. She held her breath for twenty seconds, and then she was able to breathe normally.

"How do you feel?" Shikamaru asked, his worry apparent in his voice.

"A little freaked, but thanks Shikamaru," Rox answered. "You not only saved me from – yeah, but you also rejuvenated my memories. Thanks, so much."

Shikamaru nodded, still worried about her. If he had been a second later, well he didn't even want to think about what could have happened. He looked at her. Her shirt was torn and her breasts were visible because her tank sleeves wouldn't stay up. Her jeans were torn down the sides so they flapped from her knees to her ankles. Her underwear was torn on one side so that it was hanging on by a thread literally. He blushed at the sight. He looked around quickly and found an old piece of cloth that looked big enough to be a blanket. He picked it up and handed it to her. She grabbed it and wrapped it around her body, covering herself. "Thank you," she replied.

"You're welcome," Shikamaru replied. "Now, let's get you back." Rox nodded and walked with him back to the apartment complex.

* * *

The next morning Rox met up with the group, Shikamaru, and Gaara. She was proud to inform them that she had gotten all of her memory back. "Wait, how?" Cordi asked.

"Well, it's a long story, and I don't feel like explaining the details," Roxanne grimaced. Shikamaru kept his mouth shut. They had discussed it last night that they were just going to forget about it. Shikamaru already broke the promise kind of by turning in the would-be rapists last night to the local police ninjas. He didn't tell the police who they were trying to rape, just that he had caught them in the act.

"I'm just glad you remember me. I was devastated last night when they told me that you didn't even know who I was," Lynne sniffed. She had been crying tears of joy at the news.

"Well, we have to head back to Suna today. Kankuro can't stay as Kazekage for long, otherwise the head council will have my head, so …" Gaara trailed off. Cordi and Rox nodded in understanding.

"Ok. Don't do anymore stupid things while I'm gone, please!" Cordi begged Rox. "I don't think Aleera can take the constant flying. I was thinking about seeing you once a month, but it's only been a week and I have to come back here." They laughed, and Cordi moved on.

She turned to the rest of the group, minus Gaara and said, "And you all, make sure she doesn't do anymore stupid stuff, ok?" The group nodded. "Alright, well, we gotta go. I love you guys! I'll see you in a month, as planned!" The girls nodded and let Cordi and Gaara go.

"Well, not that I don't want to stay and revel of the miracle that is Roxanne, but I have someone waiting for me," Ronni stated.

The group raised their eyebrows at her. "As in a date?" Fred asked suspiciously.

"No, just a friend. He's really nice, and he's showing me around the vet today. You know how I'm a sucker for animals," Ronni laughed, giving them a nervous smile and scratching her head a little.

They barely heard Fred mutter, "Yeah, you're a sucker for boys, too."

Shikamaru, who did catch what Fred had said, laughed. Rox smirked and asked, "Kiba?"

"Yeah, how did you know?" Ronni asked. She donned an innocent face and looked at the group.

"His mom and sister run the vet, duh!" Lynne said in an obvious and bored tone. "Did you forget?"

"uh…." Ronni said, thinking back if she had forgotten or not.

"She forgot," Shikamaru laughed. Then he added, "How troublesome."

* * *

It had taken Aleera about one hour to reach Suna. Gaara was already on the ground, faster than Aleera could lend a hand. He was obviously looking for someone. Cordi could only guess Matsuri. But Matsuri wasn't there. She rolled her eyes at the Kazekage's rush to find his girlfriend. She took Aleera's paw down and pulled off all the bags, including Gaara's bags.

"Yo, Gaara," Cordi called to get his attention. He turned to look at her as if annoyed that she asked for something. "Why don't we go drop our bags off at the house before you run off to find your friend." Gaara frowned at the idea of the delay. "The faster we get these home, that faster you can find your friend. And don't forget you need to relieve Kankuro of his duties."

Gaara grimaced and walked over, snagging his bags and walking off toward their house. Cordi smiled at her small victory and turned to Aleera and said, "Thanks, you can go hunt if you want." Aleera nodded and flew off. Cordi dragged her bags to the house and when she walked in she reached her room and set her bags in it. She went down to the living room and turned on the TV.

"Hey, Temari?" Cordi asked.

"What?" Temari called back.

"Who was the last person to watch TV?" Cordi asked.

"Uh, Kankuro I think. Why?" Temari called. Cordi snickered and almost yelled her answer back to her when Gaara sprinted by.

"I'm going to relieve Kankuro of his duties! See you all later!" Gaara called, followed by a door slam. He ran as quickly as he could to the Kazekage building, wind blowing in his hair from the speed he was running at. He was so happy to be there when he entered.

Gaara walked briskly through the Kazekage building's halls. He noticed Matsuri wasn't waiting for him at the front gate. He couldn't wait to see her, but he needed to relieve Kankuro of Kazekage duties first. Throughout his walking through the halls, several of his subordinates greeted him with "Welcome back, Sir," or "Good afternoon, Sir." He'd nod a reply to the speaker as he continued his walk.

Soon he reached his office. He stood outside his door about to open it, and he heard something strange. He heard a familiar voice almost screaming, "Oh, oh, oh. YES! YES! KANKURO!!! YES!!!" Gaara scowled at the door. How dare Kankuro have a nooner in _his_ office, most likely on _his_ desk.

"Kank – " he growled as he opened the door. Then he was able to take in the scene. The couple was having sex on his desk, this much was obvious. But suddenly, Gaara could feel his heart lurch, and, as if it had been sitting on a shelf, fall, shattering into a billion pieces like a glass figurine falling onto a hard floor. His heart had found its rock bottom. And suddenly the fact that the couple was doing it in _his_ office on _his_ desk didn't seem to mean as much as when he was standing outside.

Matsuri was the woman lying under his brother with her legs wide and wrapped around him, screaming "Kankuro" in ecstasy, while his brother continued to pound away into her in a hurried pace, made obvious with the sound of skin slapping against skin. Gaara's eyes were wide and his brain didn't want to accept it. He silently shut the door and stepped away slowly, as the couple continued their horizontal dance on _his_ desk, which he'd have to replace. His brain finally processed what he saw and what he was feeling . . . and he ran, their moans and screams echoing in his head.

**AN:** From here, I'm just going to leave you with your thoughts. I know, what a horrible way for Gaara to find out. Anyway, please review! Thanks!


	12. Chapter 11

**AN:** I'm really happy that you all are reading this and like it so much! I really just want to reach through the compie and hug you, but I can't, and you'd just find that creepy. That's just awesome! Please, keep it up!

And to Thomas Drovin, … well, just wait and see. I have a feeling you're going to be happy with what happens.

And to the GrimSpeck18, you'll really like the ending of this chapter then. ^.^v

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill.

**Chapter Eleven: Betrayal of the Heart**

"This is the pound section of the vet," Kiba said, opening a door and letting Ronni go through first. In here were housed several stray cats and dogs, all looking extremely happy at the visitors. They were all very well taken care of with shiny coats and sparkling eyes. The dogs all wagged their tails at them and smiled while the cats stretched and mewed.

Ronni squealed with excitement and jumped up and down. "AW!! THEY ARE SO CUTE!!"

Kiba laughed at her girliness. Ronni ran down the hall, looking at all the cats and dogs. She pointed at one dog and said, "This looks like the dog I had as a kid. Her name was Maggie. She got pregnant all the time by other random neighborhood dogs." Ronni pointed at one of the smiling dogs. It had black and white spotted and long-haired fur. She looked like a mix of collie and of spaniel, with very big brown eyes. Ronni then jumped to another kennel and stuck her hand in, allowing that dog to lick her extended fingers, " and then we had a black lab, like this one, named King. He's a great dog, very sweet and fun to play with. And we had a German Shepherd too. Like this one over here. His name was Caesar and he was HUGE!" She exclaimed moving over to another kennel with the similar dog in it, which was on his back and looking up at her expectantly. Ronni could do nothing but oblige the begging dog. "We also had two cats. Our first cat was grey tabby and his name was Sammy. Oh, you have one right here," Ronni indicated a cat who was rubbing its body across the bars of the kennel door. Ronni then said sadly, "Sammy died about a year ago." She reached between the bars and pet the fur of the grey tabby, who nudged against her hand and purred. " And the other cat we had, we called her Poo. We called her that because she did that in our aunt's hand while she was holding her. She was white with grey spots, like that one!" Ronni exclaimed, moving to another kennel where an identical cat lay curled up on a scratching post platform, snoozing.

Kiba laughed again at all her little stories. "You seem to have a lot of animals," Kiba stated.

"Oh, yeah. We had more than that though," Ronni laughed. "We lived on a cow farm, and we'd breed cows every year. We'd rent a bull and we'd keep the daughters if we had enough room. But we sold all the male calves, because we didn't want any inbreeding, so yeah. We had around eleven to twenty cows."

"Oh, well that's cool," Kiba smiled. Then he turned to her, arms held out in a wide gesture and asked, "So what do you think of this place?"

"It's so cool. You know I've loved animals my whole life and for the longest time, I wanted to become a vet. But now I'm just not sure," Ronni stated a little sadly, gazing around at all the animals smiling and wagging their tails or pawing the bars at her.

"But, aren't you a ninja?" Kiba asked, a little confused.

"Yeah, but eventually I'm gonna want to settle down and have a family. That's when having an at home job would be useful," Ronni replied, "but… it's a lot of training…" she trailed off.

Kiba frowned a little, "well if you ever have time, I could teach you some stuff. But I think you might already have the basic instinct to care for animals." Kiba smiled at her, and she responded with her own wide smile at the compliment.

"Thanks, I would like that," Ronni replied, arms folded behind her back and unable to wipe the smile off her face.

"Oh, we should be going, it's late," Kiba exclaimed, checking the clock on the wall.

"Aw," Ronni whined. "Oh, well. I had a lot of fun!" She smiled winningly.

"I did too," Kiba stated, smiling back at her. Kiba opened the door for her on the way out, like a gentleman, and the two went their separate ways back home, Ronni smiling broadly the whole way.

* * *

It was nearing five o'clock now, and Cordi was sitting in the living room, watching TV. She wasn't sure why, since Kankuro was the last person watching it, that the TV was on a local soap-opera channel. She figured that sometimes he wasn't as masculine as he'd like to think all the time.

Suddenly, she heard the front door slam, making her jump and look over suddenly. Gaara stormed through the foyer, and he looked like a wreck. Cordi quickly got up from her seat on the couch and followed him to the back in the kitchen. She saw him storm to the fridge and pull out a cold one. He opened it hastily, took a quick swig, and glared at the book case in the corner. One of the shelves held pictures of Kankuro and Gaara, Gaara and Matsuri, Kankuro and Temari, and all of the siblings. He stalked over to the bookcase, still glaring. He swung his arm abruptly, sweeping the pictures off their shelf, the frames shattering from their contact on the floor.

"Woah, Gaara," Cordi yelled. "What the hell?" Gaara glared at her, his eyeliner streaking down his cheeks, making it obvious he had been crying. His eyes were red, puffy, and glazed. He smelled like alcohol, and his body swayed a little, as if he had been drinking a lot. He quickly took another swig.

"What's going on? What broke?" they overheard Temari yell downstairs.

"Nothing, just go back upstairs," Cordi called back. She turned her attention back to the broken man in front of her. "Gaara, what's wrong?"

"You know, it's –" he started, slurring his words a little and swaying a bit trying to think of what he was going to say. "It's interesting how people can lie to other people, and make them fall in love with them." He glared at something off in the distance. Sniffing a little, he wiped his nose with the wrist of the hand holding his beer.

Cordi narrowed her eyes, putting the puzzle pieces together. "Did something happen with Matsuri?" She could feel that whatever had happened, it wasn't good, and it had hit him hard.

He nodded quietly, taking another swig from his beer.

"Something did happen with Matsuri," Cordi stated. "What is it?" He glared and walked away. "Gaara, I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong!" she called walking after him.

"Maybe I don't want your help!" he snapped over his shoulder.

She quickly grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around to face her. She narrowed her eyes and asked as sarcastically as she could, "Now, why don't I believe that?" He looked away from her and tried to turn away from her. She put her other hand on his other shoulder, forcing him to face her. He refused to look at her. "What did I tell you about bottling?" He still didn't say anything. "Was she cheating on you? What?"

He gave her a shocked look. "Yeah – with Kankuro – how did you know?" Cordi sighed and put a hand to her head. 'Of course my guess was spot on,' she thought. "How did you know?" Gaara asked again scowling at the younger woman.

"When we arrived from Konoha a couple weeks ago, I told you I saw your face, and that's how I guessed you guys were together?" Cordi asked. He nodded a reply. "Well, Kankuro made the same face, too. I didn't want to say anything because, well – well, I wasn't sure if they were dating or if he was just pining for her." Gaara's face seemed to melt as if in pain. She had known and she didn't even tell him was all Gaara could think about. "Also, she just rubbed me the wrong way, and I'm normally a pretty good judge of character," Cordi added.

A tear went down each of Gaara's cheeks. "So, you knew," he sobbed, disgusted that someone he thought was a friend would leave out such a detail.

"Well, not really. It was just an educated guess. Look let's get you to your room so you can relax and tell me what happened," Cordi stated, trying to lead him towards the staircase.

"I thought we were friends! Why didn't you tell me!?" Gaara snapped, more tears running down his face.

"Look. I didn't have any evidence to prove it. And without any evidence, you wouldn't have believed me," Cordi explained. "Besides, I _am_ your friend, which is _why_ I'm going to take you upstairs to your room and send Temari out on an errand to get something I think will help."

"I don't think anything will help," Gaara mumbled, sniffling a little bit trying to hold back more tears. "The alcohol sure didn't."

"That's because alcohol doesn't do jack shit except make you look stupid and give you a slight high," Cordi replied in her usual snarky tone. Gaara smiled a little at her attitude, but then started to cry again. Cordi guided him towards the stairs while muttering, "I don't think I've ever seen a man cry this much," which he half chuckled half sobbed at.

Once she had gotten him upstairs, Temari came out of her room and saw Gaara's state and suddenly became frantic. "What happened? What can I do? Who do I kill?" Temari asked.

"You just cry it out, ok Gaara? I'll be right back," Cordi assured, setting Gaara on his blue bed. She saw him bring his knees up under his chin and wrap his arms around them.

Aleera jumped in with her worried thoughts as soon as she felt Cordi was disturbed. _Hey, what's going on? What's wrong? _She asked.

_I'll tell you later _she replied before she took Temari aside, who looked as worried as a mother bird with her eggs. "Ok, long story short, Gaara and Matsuri have been secretly dating for several months. He just found out that she's cheating on him with Kankuro," Cordi whispered to the blond Subaku.

"What?" Temari gasped, trying to intake even the fact Gaara and Matsuri had been dating for a while.

"Long story even shorter? Gaara, Kankuro, and Matsuri were in a love triangle, and it didn't turn out in Gaara's favor," Cordi stated in a sarcastic tone.

_Haha, she isn't really that dense is she?_ Aleera remarked.

_Be quiet!_ Cordiscolded.

"I got that much! I'm not stupid!" Temari snapped. Cordi could hear Aleera mutter something like _Could have fooled me._ "What happened?"

"I have no idea, I just told you all I know. Now, I need you to run an errand for me," Cordi stated, changing the subject. "Now calculating together how much he's told me of their relationship and how much he's crying, _even_ after what smells like four hours of drinking, I'd say he'd fallen for her pretty hard, and he's crushed by the new twist of things. Are you catching on what I need you to get for him?"

"Uh," Temari started. She felt like it would be kind of bitchy to state the fact she never really had a problem like this, or had yet to help someone with a problem like this. This was a first for her, not a good one, but a first nonetheless.

"I need you to get chocolate. Lots of chocolate. The best for a situation like this is chocolate ice cream. Get a container and just bring it up here with a spoon. Also get chocolate bars, and chocolate covered strawberries if they're available. Chocolate covered pretzels are good too," Cordi explained. Temari nodded. She quickly grabbed her purse and darted out the door to closest grocery store.

_What can I do?_ Aleera asked hopefully.

_Nothing, sorry. I can handle the rest on my own_ Cordi replied. She could feel Aleera accepting this, and her mind receding.

Cordi turned back to Gaara who sat on his bed, chin between his knees, and tears falling quietly down his face. "What did I do wrong?" he sobbed. "Why doesn't she love me like I love her?" More black eyeliner dyed tears fell from his eyes and onto steadily growing wet patches on his knees. She walked over and sat down next to him on the bed. She pulled him into a small embrace, rocking him a little. "Is fate punishing me for killing all those people?" he asked. He lowered his eyes to his knees and sobbed, "I tried my best. I thought I had finally turned my life around. I thought everything was going great. Is fate laughing at the torment it's causing me?" Cordi rubbed his back a little as his lungs wracked with sobs. Then he asked the age old question. "What should I do now?"

"That is the question," Cordi stated, grimacing at the options. Then she breathed in, and said, "Well, you smell like stale beer, so I'd say take a shower. But also, talk out what you're feeling. Other people can help you, if you let them in a little. But only the people you can trust."

"I trusted Matsuri," he hiccoughed, "so how do I know who I can and can't trust?"

"A gut feeling?" Cordi guessed, hoping it was a good enough answer. "I've gotten really good at knowing who to trust and who not to over the years. Like, I knew you'd be ok to trust. The first time I saw Matsuri in real life, I didn't trust her, and I don't think Temari did either," Cordi explained. "I can do it by the way someone looks at me. I know, it's judging a book by its cover and it's considered wrong, but I get a gut feeling, and it hasn't failed me yet. If you're not sure about someone, then wait till they prove themselves trustworthy."

He nodded solemnly, knowing that's what he should have done in the first place. "But seriously? Take a shower, because you are making me dizzy just from sitting near you," Cordi said, giving him a sad smile, as she got up and offered him a hand. He looked at it skeptically. "Look, if you want, I'll sit on the toilet while you're in the shower if you want to talk." He gave a small nod and grabbed her hand. She helped him up and walked him over to the bathroom. She walked out, and waited for him to hop in the shower before she walked back in.

"What happened to Temari?" Gaara asked from behind the shower curtain.

"I sent Temari to get something my world calls comfort-food, which is what we eat in times like this. It's better than therapy," Cordi enticed. She could practically hear Gaara mentally debating with himself over whether food can actually help him or not in this situation.

"What do I do about Matsuri and Kankuro?" Gaara asked. This was the question Cordi had been waiting for. "Because, honestly, I want to _kill_ Kankuro," Gaara added.

"And that would be wrong," Cordi replied.

"Why do you say that?" Gaara asked, a little confused with her siding.

"Well, we know Matsuri was in a relationship with both of you, so it's obvious that she knew she was playing you two. She'd be the one I'd punish. Matsuri asked you to keep your relationship a secret, so we don't know if Kankuro knew about you and her or not. Most likely, he did not know otherwise he wouldn't have dated her, for the very reason you put forth," Cordi explained.

"Which was?" Gaara asked.

"Most likely if he had known you and Matsuri were dating, he wouldn't have dated her at all. He knew you'd kill him if he did, and you could probably do it without leaving any trace of evidence," Cordi laughed. "And, you're his brother. No matter what relationship you have, Kankuro seems loyal enough that he wouldn't purposefully do anything to hurt you. I mean, ever since you guys got older and matured." Gaara had to admit, she was right. He and Kankuro had become close over the last couple years, and Kankuro happened to be one of his biggest supporters. "It's like something my mom used to say to my brother, my sister, and me growing up. 'Blood is thicker than water,'" Cordi added.

"What does that mean?" Gaara asked as if it were the dumbest thing he had ever heard.

"It means don't let people or petty things, like this whole Matsuri deal, get in the way of your relationship with your family. They are your flesh and blood, and bonds with family will be the strongest thing you have in life. At the end, all you really have is family. Friends come and go, but your family will always be there, whether you want them to or not," Cordi explained. "And I do know your family isn't really what people would call functional, but…" Gaara had to laugh at that, it was true. Most families wouldn't try to kill each other off or drive each other nuts like they do. "But it's still a family. Friends can become family when you grow close enough to them, but most of the times the bond can't be as close as a sibling. Take me and Ronni, I've known her for ten years and she is practically like a sister to me, but my biological sister and I have been close our whole lives."

Gaara felt happy with what she had said to him, but sad at the same time because his family was rather dysfunctional, and guilty for wanting to kill Kankuro without getting all the facts in. "You're right," Gaara said, sounding rather defeated.

"I know I am," Cordi laughed. Gaara made a face at her that she couldn't see due to the curtain.

"So what do I do about Matsuri?" Gaara asked. "I can't just kill her. I love her."

"You do?" Cordi asked, like it was a trick question.

"Well yeah!" Gaara said, as if to say "DUH!" "Otherwise I wouldn't be such a wreck right now."

"Point taken," Cordi sighed, kind of feeling as if she had been blown off. "But do you want her to feel like you do, or have you already forgiven her?"

"FORGIVEN HER!?!" he almost yelled. "I can't FORGIVE her after what she did! She went around my back and slept with my brother. She CHEATED on me! And who knows for how long! I'm not sure I can even trust her again!"

"And there's my point," Cordi said.

"What?" Gaara asked, completely confused again by her train of thought.

"How can you love someone you can't trust?" Cordi asked. Gaara was silent.

* * *

Kankuro got home around seven o'clock to find Gaara, Cordi, and Temari sitting on Gaara's bed eating chocolate. What was strange was Gaara's eyeliner didn't look quite normal, but he ignored it. They all looked at him differently. Cordi was curious, Gaara glared at him, and Temari scowled at him. Kankuro frowned at the attention given to him. "Did I miss the party, or was I even invited?" Kankuro asked.

Cordi got up off the bed, and said, "Kankuro, why don't we go downstairs and talk?" She walked over to him and grabbed his arm gently, pushing Kankuro away from the bedroom. He looked at them confused, especially Cordi. He didn't want to get pulled away from them if there was something going on.

But Cordi did successfully pull him away and sat down with him in the living room. "So," Cordi smiled, "You and Matsuri, huh?"

Kankuro looked surprised, and slightly mortified. "H-how did you know?" Kankuro asked, his eyes wide.

Cordi smiled and said, "I have my ways. So how long have you guys been together?"

"Uh, about a year or so," Kankuro stated. "Why?"

"Just wondering. I'm guessing she asked you to keep it a secret, because Temari and Gaara had no idea," Cordi stated, an evil smile playing on her lips.

"Yes, she did, because her aunt didn't really approve of me. Did you tell them?!" Kankuro asked, feeling a little betrayed.

"I actually didn't have to. Gaara walked in on your nooner," Cordi stated. Kankuro's face fell, as he was obviously embarrassed. His eyes were wide and his face paled. Then Cordi asked, "Were you aware that Matsuri was cheating on you?"

Kankuro suddenly grew angry. "Matsuri would never do such a thing!" Kankuro snarled, getting up from the couch to leave the room, obviously not wanting to hear anything Cordi was about to say.

"But she did and with Gaara. They've been dating for months. He had no idea about your and Matsuri's relationship," Cordi stated. Kankuro stopped mid-step and grabbed the side of the doorway. It seemed as if he was broadsided with the news, like a train had pummeled full force into him. She saw his shoulders shake as the news sunk in and he lifted his other arm to his face, rubbing at it. Cordi added softly, "And you didn't know about their relationship, either."

"I need a drink," Kankuro sniffled, letting go of the doorway and walking towards the kitchen, his purple face paint smeared across his cheeks.

"Kankuro," Cordi called after him, following him back to the kitchen as he too grabbed a beer from the fridge. He sat down at the table, ignoring her. "Kankuro, I'm sorry I told you so coldly. I needed to prove that you were innocent. Gaara's really upset."

"Gaara's upset!?" Kankuro snapped. He had just heard that the woman he loved was cheating on him with his brother, and the only reason the blow wasn't cushioned for him was because his brother was upset!? "I'm upset!"he yelled at the seventeen year-old woman, tears flowing from his face like a burst water main. Kankuro put his head down in his arms and cried. His back shuddered as his lungs were wracked with sobs.

Cordi nodded and walked back upstairs where Gaara and Temari were sitting on the bed eating chocolate. Gaara was doing a little better, but he was still upset. Cordi quickly grabbed some of the chocolate, getting curious glances from Temari and Gaara. "Kankuro's a mess," Cordi explained in a guilty tone, leaving the room with the chocolate before the other siblings were able to question her. She walked back to the kitchen, where she saw Kankuro sitting with his head in his hands. "Here, eat this. It'll make you feel better," Cordi said, dropping the bag of sweets in front of him.

"What is it?" Kankuro asked.

"Chocolate. Better known in my world as comfort food," Cordi offered, holding a chocolate strawberry in his face. He grimaced but took the sweet. He bit into it, and his face suddenly relaxed. "You and Gaara should talk. Now, do you know where Matsuri lives?" Cordi asked.

"At the corner of this street, why?" Kankuro asked, giving her a strange look.

"Oh, no reason," Cordi smiled. "You just eat." She got up and left the kitchen. In the foyer, she saw Gaara and Temari walking over to the kitchen. "I'll be out for a little while. See you." With that, she walked out of the Subaku house and down the street to Matsuri's house, hoping to give the tramp a piece of her mind. She quickly knocked on the door, which swung open to the brunette herself. As soon as Cordi saw her, rage boiled her blood for her close friends. She quickly threw a harsh right hook at the unsuspecting teen.

"Why?" Matsuri cried as she held her bloody lip and nose, while lying in the ground.

Cordi leaned over, a hand on her hip and the other pointing at Matsuri. "You know why," Cordi snarled before turning on her heel and walking back to the Subakus' house.

**AN:** Hahaha, I know, you all wanted to do that to Matsuri. Let her get her just deserts!!! Alright, everyone, remember to review!!!


	13. Chapter 12

**AN:** Thanks so much guys for almost 500 views. That's just the coolest thing ever! And it's only been two weeks! Keep it up!

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, I just finished writing a really emotional chapter for poor Gaara. (I'm typing it up on my compie first, then copy paste. So I'm several chapter ahead of you.) So he will cry more. Save that pent up anger!

And to Thomas Drovin, Yup! I like to kill two birds with one stone. ^.^v

And to the GrimSpeck18, I thought you'd like that. Just wait. It does get better.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill.

**Chapter Twelve: Collision of Artists**

"Alright, we'll be done with most of your chakra training tomorrow. You should take a rest," Sakura sighed. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Fred had been training her elemental power with her chakra for the past three days, making her ability to look more and more like the first hokage's. Today, she was learning gen-jutsu by creating a fake forest, and it had tired her out. She nodded to her teacher, and then left for her apartment.

As soon as she got back, she changed into a pair of blue jeans and a normal t-shirt. She quickly decided to get back to her art, so she grabbed one of her canvases, her paints, her easel, her brushes, and her paint pallet. She walked out to the field that she and her friends used to always meet at. It happened to have the best view of the local mountains and forests, not to mention a waterfall if you looked hard enough.

She had actually wanted to paint that waterfall, and she had enough time today, so she followed the sound of flowing water till she found the familiar stream. She ran up river with her supplies until she found the breath-taking waterfall. As soon as she located a good spot, she set up her easel, placed her canvas on it, along with a brush. She set up her pallet and started the under-sketch for her painting. As soon as she was done with that, she started mixing her colors and painting the picture she had drawn in a full spectrum of colors.

She was about halfway done when she heard some leaves rustle behind her. She turned quickly to see a pasty white man with medium length black hair, and dull black eyes standing right over her shoulder. People who watched her work over her shoulder always creeped her out. This little experience was no different. It was almost as bad as someone sticking their feet in her face, another thing that drove her crazy.

"What the Hell are you doing?" Fred shrieked at the man.

"I'm admiring you hideous art work," he replied with a dead-pan voice that was oddly cheery.

Fred's jaw dropped at the comment. "EXCUSE ME!?" she yelled at him, getting up from her chair.

"Alright, you're excused," he replied in the same voice.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah. Who the fuck are you to judge my artwork? I happened to be top of my art classes in all my schools!" Fred stated, royally pissed off with his whole manner. "And who the fuck are you anyway? I don't think I've ever met you before, so there's no reason to be rude!"

"My name is Sai, and I happen to be a fellow artist, the best actually," he replied, quite serious this time.

"Well, _Sai_, you still have no room judge my artwork that way. It looks exactly like the scene!" Fred stated, which was true. It looked like a photo.

"Yeah, but there's no life to it," Sai debated. "My best art is alive. Yours is – inanimate."

"What are you talking about?" Fred asked. "It looks picture perfect. What do you mean by alive?"

"This," Sai replied while pulling out a scroll and painting a lion on it. As soon as the lion was finished, it jumped off the page, literally. It then turned into normal ink in a puddle on the grass.

"Ri-ight," Fred scowled. "Well, I may not have the ability to make stick figures come alive, but at least my art isn't stick figures."

"Are you ugly bitches always so jealous?" Sai asked.

"EXCUSE ME!?" Fred screeched. "Did you just call me an UGLY BITCH!?"

Sai smiled and replied, "Yes. I like ugly bitches."

… _Uh-oh_ she could hear Cherokee state in the back of her mind. Fred scowled, not really wanting an audience.

Fred glared at the man in front of her. If she could kill someone with her mind, it would be him at the moment. "I think you should leave before something bad happens," Fred growled.

"What bad could come from this?" Sai asked.

"You pissing me off so terribly that the local authorities won't be able to find your body once I'm through with you, is what bad could happen," She snarled. She had her fists clenched at her sides, so as not to hurt him just yet.

_Yeah, you go girl!_ Cherokee cheered.

_Would you be quiet please!?_ Fred snapped.

"Your funny," Sai smiled. Then he turned and walked away, waving to her and saying, "I'll see you later."

Fred was so angry her eyes were twitching. "For your sake, I hope not," Fred growled at him. "Crazy mo-fo!" she muttered to herself. She turned back to her painting, and suddenly wasn't in the mood to paint anymore. Currently, she just wanted to punch something. She quickly packed up her things and stormed away from the waterfall. In the back of her mind, she could hear Cherokee laughing like a hyena. _Shut up_ she snarled, which just made Cherokee laugh louder.

* * *

Shikamaru and Rox had been hanging out at Rox's apartment in the afternoon. She had just finished her tree training, and they decided to start elemental chakra training tomorrow. They had been having a grand old time, telling each other stories of stuff that had happened to them over the years. Over the past week, they had grown closer and were almost like best friends.

"Oh, no," Rox laughed. "I have a story that could beat the one you just told me." Shikamaru looked at her in a challenging way. "Well one time, I got so mad at my brother that I threw a book at him, and …"

Just then, someone knocked at the door. Rox excused herself, and ran to answer the door. On her doorstep stood a mail-man-nin, which made Rox laugh. She had no idea that they actually looked that ridiculous. "A letter for you, miss," the mail-nin stated, handing her an envelope.

She quickly got over her giggles and replied, "Thank you." She took the letter and shut the door, turning back to Shikamaru. Instantly, she recognized the handwriting. "It's from Cordi," she smiled as she sat down in the same seat as before.

Quickly she opened it and read its contents, which went as follows:

"Dear Rox,

We just got back in Suna around noon today, which is rather quick. I should probably say "Noon, three days ago," or four, because it'll be that time by the time you get it. But I digress. I have only been here half a day, and it's already crazy! I need your help.

Alright, you need the back-up story before I go into what the hell happened today. The first time I arrived in Suna, I noticed there was something going on between Gaara and Matsuri, and maybe even between Kankuro and Matsuri, but I wasn't sure. So I asked Gaara about it, and apparently Gaara and Matsuri had been SECRETLY dating for several months, because she didn't want all the publicity. I know strange, because I couldn't see them together in the comic until I actually saw them together in real life. But anyway, as soon as we got back today, guess what happened. Gaara found out Matsuri was cheating on him with Kankuro in the worst way possible. He walked in on them having – you know – in Gaara's office on his desk.

When Gaara got home about five hours later, he was drunk off his ass, but sober enough to walk and understand what was going on. He told me about Matsuri cheating on him … well, actually I guessed, which got him pissed off that I had known and didn't say anything to him earlier about it because I didn't have proof. I got him to calm down after a while and discuss his options. Thankfully, I was able to talk him out of killing Kankuro. He told me that he was in love with Matsuri, and I questioned him on it. He failed to answer, but I think he's in denial about failing now.

So, obviously when Kankuro got home, I had to question him, because I knew how to do it right. If Gaara did it, he'd probably kill him, and Temari probably wouldn't even question him. I proved to Gaara, because I had him eavesdrop while I quizzed Kankuro, that Gaara had no reason to be angry at Kankuro because technically Gaara was the _other_ guy! Kankuro and Matsuri had been dating a little over a year, and they had kept it secret because apparently her aunt, her guardian, didn't like him! So obviously Kankuro became a mess because I had to give him the news so coldly. So now I think I've fractured my friendship with Kankuro.

Anyway, after that, I found out where Matsuri lives. So I walked down there and punched her in the face. I think I might have broken her nose, but I don't know. Once I got back, both Kankuro and Gaara got pissed off that I had gone down there and hurt her. Although, I quickly became Temari's hero, because she hasn't liked Matsuri for a long time. The guys have ignored me for the past couple hours, so I think I've pissed them off. So now I feel bad. Hopefully all their anger with me will have blown over by Kankuro's birthday celebration in a couple days. It would be a real downer if it didn't.

I really just needed to vent, and Temari's asleep, and since the guys won't listen to me, and I think it would be in TERRIBLE taste to vent this to them, you were the best choice. Please, tell the others what happened, but keep it on the down low, because I'm telling you guys in confidence. Tell them I say hi, as does Aleera, and to keep us in your thoughts. We'll be needing it. Because seriously? I have never seen grown men cry like that before. I love you and I'll see you around!

Your Sister,

Cordi

(I mean, only if you couldn't figure out who I was earlier. Come on!)"

"Oh my god, that sucks!" Rox stated after she finished reading.

"Well, what happened?" Shikamaru asked. So, Rox restated everything that was in the contents of the letter to him. When she finished, he nodded and said, "Oh, well that does suck. So, what happened?"

"What do you mean 'What happened?' I just told you!" Rox scolded, slightly annoyed that he wasn't listening.

"No, about the book. You threw it at your brother, so what happened?" Shikamaru asked.

"OH!!" Rox half laughed half sighed, feeling completely stupid with her mistake. "Well, my mom made me read it, and then had me write a book report on it. And this was back when I hated reading!" Shikamaru laughed at the story, and then half sighed. "I really should talk to the rest of the group about this letter. She'd like to hear their input," Rox stated, getting up from her comfortable seat. Shikamaru got up too and stretched.

"I'll see you later then," Shikamaru smiled as he walked out.

"See you," Rox replied. As soon as he was out, she found some paper and wrote notes to everyone to meet her at Ichiraku's. She taped them to each of her friends' doors, then left for the famed restaurant.

* * *

Rox had been sitting at Ichiraku's for a little while when Fred stomped in, growling about something Rox couldn't quite hear. She sat down and mumbled for a Chicken and Shrimp ramen. It came to her quickly.

"Was everyone else on their way?" Rox asked. Fred grumbled a no and slurped some ramen which had just been handed to her. Rox knew Fred wasn't normally like this, so she asked, "What's wrong?"

Fred pursed her lips, as if about to answer, but still thinking of the words to use. But just then Lynne and Ronni came running in, apologizing for the tardiness. "So, what's up?" Lynne asked, grabbing a seat next to Rox. Ronni grabbed a seat next to Fred and looked at the rest of the group in earnest.

"Well, I got a letter from Cordi today, and this is what she said…" Rox stated. She continued with what Cordi had written about, explaining the situation going on in Suna. "I think she may want us to write back, and if so, she'll probably want suggestions on what she should do. Any ideas?"

They all frowned, except Ronni, who said, "Tell her to wait. The guys are hurt, but they'll bounce back eventually. That's the only thing she can do. Oh and keep Matsuri away from them if at all possible. She'll just make it worse."

"You know," Lynne started, "that might be the best information you have ever given."

"Well, I do know some things when it comes to matters of the heart," Ronni stated, angry that the older girls wouldn't believe in some of her ideas.

"Yeah," Fred said in a sarcastically up-beat tone. "It's only on types of men she has issues with. She can never really determine good boyfriends from bad ones."

Ronni frowned at her older sister and slapped her lightly. "Be nice," she ordered. Fred rolled her eyes at her sister taking the high ground.

"Hey, Fred, you seem a little ticked off about something," Rox stated. "What's wrong?"

Fred sighed and said, "Well, I had a run in with this guy named Sai. I really shouldn't say guy, but asshole. He insulted me and my artwork for no reason. And called me an ugly bitch. An UGLY BITCH!" Lynne laughed. "What's so funny!?" Fred snarled.

"Did he tell you he liked ugly bitches?" Lynne smiled. Fred's eyebrows furrowed as she nodded her head. "He says that to almost everybody. I say almost because the people he doesn't say that to is guys. Instead, he remarks on how small their penises are most likely." Lynne started to chuckle by the end of her remark.

Fred looked at her like she was crazy. "And they allow that?" Fred asked as if it was against all common sense.

"Well yeah. He actually turns out to be okay, kinda creepy, but an okay guy if you get to know him. It's because he was part of a secret section of Anbu, and he doesn't really understand how normal humans interact," Lynne explained.

"And you know this how?" Fred asked.

"She watched Shippuden," Rox explained in a bored tone.

"Oh," Fred said noncommittally.

"Man, you guys are so lucky," Lynne sighed. Everyone looked at her strangely. "You've all met the guys you liked in the show," Lynne stated. "Rox is friends with Shikamaru. Cordi is friends with Gaara. Ronni is friends with Kiba. And now Fred has Sai."

"Uh, I never liked any of the guys on this show," Fred stated. "I preferred having real boyfriends."

"Haha, well that won't help now," Rox smiled.

Ronni frowned then looked at her sister, "You didn't even watch the show. Not that much anyway," Ronni recollected.

"But you have a guy now you can talk to," Lynne stated.

"Well, you can have him," Fred laughed. "He's an asshole."

"He wasn't my favorite," Lynne smiled. "So he's yours." Fred frowned and turned back to her ramen. "But I highly doubt I'll see him. He doesn't live here anymore," Lynne added, her face falling slightly at the prospect of never getting to meet the one and only Sasuke Uchiha.

**AN: **Yeah, Lynne is so lonely. Oh well… Right? You'll find out her story later… it has yet to start. Yeah, if you hadn't noticed, I'm having mini stories intertwined with the main plot. You know, like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, same kind of set up. Alright, everyone, remember to review!!!


	14. Chapter 13

**AN:** Thanks so much guys for all the views. I've got a ton of viewers and it's making me laugh at my sis because she looks at how many people read hers, then she gawks at how many read mine… considering she edits most of my writing, you guys really should read her writing too! But I digress! Keep it up!

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, Yeah, that's the way to pent up your anger! You sound like the crazy massage robot from Wall-e. If you haven't seen that yet, it's good, you should watch it! Mo is the shiz!

And to Thomas Drovin, Well, they've been there almost three months, so yeah, they've most likely adapted to the crazy Naruto world. Haha. Wow, you guys only have a couple chapters until you catch up with me. ^.^o

And to the GrimSpeck18, Yes, I did read White Wolf… I have a feeling mine and Maeir's character won't be in there for long… cuz it's obviously based on your character, but that's fine. It sounds really good, even though it's only two paragraphs long. I'm interested in that one. Trapped… considering the pairing not so much, but I'm willing to tolerate the Uchiha-Emo-King, because it's your writing.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill.

**Chapter Thirteen: Gaara's Bad Luck**

As soon as Rox got home that night, she wrote a letter back to Cordi, which entailed Ronni's suggestion and news about Konoha. It was rather long and kept her up until between midnight and one o'clock writing it. She put it in an envelope as soon as she was done and addressed it.

Once she woke up the next morning, she found another mail-nin and gave him the letter. Then she watched the goofy looking mail-man sprint as fast as he could through the gates of Konoha towards Suna, which made her laugh. Then she went on her way to her chakra training lessons with her new guy-friend, Shikamaru.

* * *

After feeling like the sun was blinding her through her eyelids, Cordi decided to get up and greet the new morning, groggily, muttering, "No, good dream." It was Saturday, the twenty-fifth of July, and it had been nearly a week after the Matsuri incident, and since then, Cordi had been appointed chuunin level and had been training with each of the Subakus on chakra control. She clambered out of bed and grabbed a sweatshirt, which she slid on as she left her room. Her room happened to be a little expansive. It had a queen bed, a walk in closet, an armoire, and a luxurious bathroom, but what else would you expect from the richest family in Suna. The walls were tan stucco, and the floors were carpeted, white, except for the bathroom which was a white tile.

The rest of the house floors were a tan stone, which had been buffed and polished to smoothness. It actually felt quite nice against her feet as she walked down to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast. As soon as she entered the room, she followed the heavenly aroma to the coffee maker and grabbed a mug next to it to pour her a cup. She added cream and sugar, then took a sip. Suddenly, she felt a little awake from the warmth she felt as the coffee flowed down her throat and settling into her stomach.

"Mmmmm," Cordi moaned softly. She fully opened her eyes to see the counter holding plates with toast, bacon, eggs, and dumplings. The eggs although were scrambled, which Cordi frowned slightly at, but she still grabbed a plate and dished herself some bacon and toast, which she took straight to the table where a cheery Temari sat. So cheery, it seemed that it should be banned in the mornings.

"Good morning," Temari smiled. "How did you sleep?"

"Same as usual," Cordi replied in a bored tone. "I actually had a strange dream last night."

"Oh?" Temari asked an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah. We were at a festival, I have no idea where. It was you, me, Kankuro, Gaara, Rox with Shikamaru, Ronni with I'm guessing Kiba, Fred, and Lynne with some guy I couldn't see. Matsuri showed up about halfway through with a little kid, whom I couldn't see, on her hip, but then she faded, leaving the kid. Then suddenly, Gaara, who was standing next to me, got down on one knee. Then I woke up," Cordi explained. "Before he even said anything," she clarified, clearly a little disturbed by not knowing.

"You think he was going to propose?" Temari smiled, laughing a little.

"No. Well, maybe, but that would never happen," Cordi grimaced. "No matter how much I wish it would …" she muttered darkly to herself. She was so quiet about it, Temari almost didn't catch it.

"Why not?" Temari asked, giving her a curious stare.

"Because we're just friends. He's made that painfully clear. Being just friends is the kiss of death when it comes to relationships," Cordi explained. Then she grabbed a slice of toast and bit a piece out.

Temari shrugged, then took a sip of her coffee. "Well, you guys actually have a lot in common. And you've been there a lot for him recently. It would be very unlike him if he didn't even notice it."

"I'm not saying he wouldn't notice it," Cordi argued. "I'm just saying he would register it as an act of friendship, not an act of …" She stopped, thinking she was saying too much. So she changed the subject slightly to not reveal herself, "And I'm not even sure if I would date him in the first place."

"Why not?" Temari asked, a smug smile playing on her lips.

"Is he right behind me?" Cordi asked, which she then turned promptly around to find air behind her, not noticing his red hair peeking out from the doorway. "Ok. I probably wouldn't date him because it would be weird. I mean, it's cool when he was a fictional character and I could dream about meeting him. It's kind of like meeting your favorite actor, … but then start dating him? Stuff like that just doesn't happen. It's too weird." Temari nodded understandingly. "Especially for him because I already know so much about him, just because I read the comics and watched the show, I would seem like a stalker. But I'm not. I already knew his life story when I met him, but he didn't know mine."

"Well, what if it wasn't serious?" Temari asked.

"That would be worse," Cordi stated. "Because then it would be my dream with a bad ending. – Why are we even talking about this?"

"It beats the hell out of me," Gaara stated. Cordi suddenly whirled around, her face paled as she saw the redhead with a dower expression, and also looked kind of tired.

"How long were you standing there?" Cordi asked in a breathy voice.

"Not long," Gaara stated, grabbing a plate and placing toast, eggs, and dumplings on it. He walked over to the table and grabbed a seat opposite of Cordi.

"How did you sleep?" Cordi asked. He just looked up at her, pursing his lips slightly. "Right, you're still mad at me," Cordi stated, going back to her breakfast.

"Hey, Cordi, I've heard some of the music you have on that little device you have. What is it called again?" Temari asked, changing the subject.

"It's an iPod," Cordi answered through her bite of toast.

"Yeah, that. I was wondering if you could play it at the party tonight. You have a lot of great songs on there I think everyone will enjoy," Temari smiled. Gaara frowned, but it was minimal.

"Yeah, sure," Cordi replied, smiling at the eldest Subaku. "I just have to set up my iHome. It won't take long at all. But wait, isn't it at a local bar?"

"Yeah, can you play it there?" Temari asked, concern crossing her face.

"Yeah, well. I'll have to use my computer, which has more songs than my iPod, and I'll have to get a hold on their stereo system," Cordi explained. "It's not impossible, I'll just need a little longer time."

Temari nodded, then added, "We'll have to get there earlier for decorating anyway." Suddenly she pulled out a checklist and checked something off. "Okay, so music is done. Gaara, you're in charge of getting the cake," Temari listed, pointing at him. Gaara grimaced. Cordi nibbled on a piece of bacon.

"I hate cake duty," he muttered, before taking a stab at his eggs and biting hard on them.

"Well, nobody asked," Temari stated, ignoring his glare and checking off things on her checklist. "Anyway, quit acting like a petulant child. You have to have at least one job!"

"That's what being Kazekage is for, is it not?" Gaara growled, glaring at his older sister.

Temari looked at him with a "you-know-what-I-meant" look. Gaara kept glaring at her. And the staring contest continued for a while, which was when Cordi interjected with "You know, the weather outside today is just beautiful!" Then the glares switched their focuses onto the teenager sitting at the table. "Ri-ight," Cordi said, "I'm gonna head back upstairs and grab my computer." With that, she left the table, the Subakus' gazes following her out.

As soon as she got into her room, she opened her computer and sat on her bed. For some odd reason, she felt like watching the chuunin exams, and so she did. Starting at episode twenty, she watched the episodes she had bought on DVD so long ago. It wasn't long until she could feel a presence at the door. So, she paused her video and looked at Gaara leaning against the doorway. "You know, I had no idea you were so emasculating," Cordi laughed. Gaara quirked an eyebrow then sat down next to her on the bed.

"What are you watching?" he asked. Cordi played it and smiled. It was currently at the part where Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto were waiting for Kakashi on the bridge a second time.

"The chuunin exams. This is just the beginning of it," Cordi laughed. He furrowed his eyebrows at her then turned back to the screen when Sakura and Naruto scolded Kakashi for being late. "You can watch it with me if you'd like," Cordi offered. Gaara didn't say anything, but kept watching. "I'll take that as a yeah," she laughed and turned to face the screen again.

"You got a letter," Gaara stated handing her an envelope, but still focusing on the screen.

"Oh, thank you," Cordi said, taking the letter from him and opening it.

"Dear Cordi,

Hey, it was so nice to hear from you, granted it was ranting. We've been doing okay over here. Ronni recently went on a date with Kiba. She says it wasn't a date-date, but we don't believe her one bit. Shikamaru has been making sure there are no more possibilities for any more asthma attacks, almost to the point of annoyance. Every training session, he asks "Do you have your inhaler?" It's considerate, but sometimes I wish he'd stop asking.

Oh, and Fred met Sai. She was so pissed off at dinner because when they met each other, she was painting and he insulted her artwork and then called her an ugly bitch. You know how he likes ugly bitches. Haha. …"

At that, Cordi snorted and could not stop laughing. Gaara gave her a strange look before she managed to say, "Fred met Sai the other day. Do you know who Sai is?" Gaara nodded. "Well," she continued telling him about how Fred and Sai met. Once she finished, he gave her a small smile before turning back to her computer.

"… Lynne is jealous that we all have met the guys we liked on the show and became friends with them. She was pouting earlier about how she'll probably never meet Sasuke.

Anyway, the best advice we could give is just wait it out. The guys will come around eventually. Until then, just respect their wishes that they don't really want to talk to you yet. Can you believe Ronni gave that advice? She said she was an expert on matters of the heart. Yet again I have to laugh at that because when it comes to most of the guys she dates, she couldn't be further from the truth.

Tell Kankuro the ninjas of the leaf village wish him a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Well, maybe not all the leaf ninjas, just the cool ones (us, if you could figure that one out). How old is he, or is that information classified? Well, I gotta go. It's like one o'clock and I have to get up tomorrow for training.

Love, Your sister,

Rox"

Cordi smiled and folded the letter back up. Then she gained a curious face and turned to Gaara and asked, "How old is Kankuro?"

"He will be twenty-two," Gaara stated, still focused on the show.

"Then how old are you?" Cordi asked holding the same face in place.

He returned her gaze with a similar one, then said, "Twenty. Why?"

"Well," Cordi started. "Wait, when's your birthday?"

"What is this, an inquisition?" Gaara asked edgily.

"No, I was just wondering. They never really bring that up on the show or in the comics," Cordi explained.

He gave her a skeptical glare then growled, "January 19th."

"What about Temari?" Cordi asked, looking curious.

"She is also twenty-two, but will be turning twenty-three in two months."

"So they're Irish twins," Cordi whispered to herself. He gave her an annoyed glare for her interruption. "Oh, sorry. Please continue."

"September twenty-seventh is her birthday. Anymore questions?" Gaara asked a little annoyed.

"No, well," Cordi started. Gaara gave her a small glare, until she asked, "Do you want help on the cake duty?"

Gaara's glare dissipated, and he gave her a grateful look and said, "Yes. Thanks."

* * *

"Okay, we're almost there Kankuro!" Temari squealed excitedly, making sure her brother's eyes were covered. Kankuro obviously didn't really care for the spectacle of being run through the streets by his sister and being blindfolded.

"You said that five minutes ago," Kankuro growled, really hating this. He could hear groups of people snickering as he passed.

"Well, I misjudged time," Temari fibbed.

"You just didn't want me knowing where I was going did you?" Kankuro asked. Temari didn't say anything, which made him smile. "I knew you guys were doing something special for my birthday!" He laughed, almost giggled. Temari frowned. They had been lying to him for months that nothing was going on. Even when Cordi joined, they made her lie to the middle child to make the fib more authentic.

But Temari ignored him, and led him to some doors, and said, "Just right through here, and…" Suddenly his ears were filled with hard rock songs that sounded slightly familiar. Then he recognized the song was Let It Rock, by Kevin Rudolf, from Cordi's music device. "TADA!" Temari yelled, ripping off the blindfold, letting Kankuro see that his favorite bar in Suna had been transformed for a birthday party. His birthday party. He could see presents held by the stereo system. He saw that the room was packed with friends. Baki stood with Gaara in the front, and Cordi stood not far to the side. Then there were neighbors and friends from when he was growing up, which had been a lot of people, but they were all relatively his age, minus Baki and a few of his other mentors whom he had kept a good relationship with.

"SURPRISE!" everyone yelled, smiling big smiles.

"You guys didn't," he laughed in disbelief.

"We did," Temari smiled. "Well, Gaara secured the bar months ago. You know, him being Kazekage and all." Kankuro laughed again.

"It finally pays off that your little brother is the strongest person in the village, eh?" Gaara asked, smirking.

"Oh, it's been paying off a while, but this is by far the coolest thing you've done!" Kankuro laughed, looking at the place in aw, then giving Gaara a hug. "You are my favorite little brother!"

"I'm your only little brother," Gaara stated, slightly confused.

"Thus why you're my favorite!" Kankuro laughed. "If I had another, it would be mean to play favorites."

"I play favorites between you both all the time," Temari joked, her face deadpan. They looked at her a little hurt. "That was a joke," Temari stated. They still gave her wary glances. She sighed and pointed to the bar, "Bartender has agreed to stay, so drinks are available there. Hors d'ouvres are on the table over there. The dance floor is open. DJ-ing is being done by Cordi over there. Cake is in thirty minutes, followed by gifts. And – I think that's it. Have fun!"

Before Temari could leave, Cordi ran over and asked, "Hey, could you tell me when thirty minutes is up? I'm going to have the visualizer on, so my screen will be covered."

"Why are you doing that?" Temari asked, confused.

"Well, I was also able to hook up my computer screen to the TV screen above the dance floor. The visualizer automatically goes with the music, and it was easier than figuring out how to do a light show," Cordi explained. Temari nodded, then walked off onto the dance floor.

Luckily, thirty minutes went off without a hitch. The music was great. No one had come to crash the party. Things were looking up. Dinner was great. It was a basic chicken or steak thing. Cordi and Gaara had gotten the steak. Temari and Kankuro had gotten the chicken. The cake was also great. It was a two-tiered yellow cake with lemon icing. Then the presents were given.

Gaara was first to give his gift. Kankuro couldn't believe his brother had gotten him a new puppet. Its name was Reaper. It was wooden like all the other ones, but it held an iron box in its torso area. It had wings on it that were made of two big scythes. It had a cloak, covering its four arms and the majority of his head. If the hood of the cloak was removed, the top of the head was bald, except for a few holes for poison gas. Kankuro had been eyeing this puppet for awhile, and Gaara knew he had wanted it.

Kankuro hugged his brother, thanking him for the gift, before moving on with the other gifts. The next one was Temari's. She handed him gift certificates to his favorite store, adding the price up to $500. Kankuro laughed, and gave her a hug too, thanking her for the gift.

Then it was Baki's turn. Baki had gotten him a really expensive looking diary. "I know how you like to keep your thoughts down," Baki stated. Kankuro laughed, because Baki had no idea how much he'd been wanting to write down what was going on in his mind for a while. He thanked Baki, and Baki sat down in the group.

It was Cordi's turn to give him a gift. Cordi gulped and stepped forward. "Uhm, before you open it, please don't get disappointed because it's not expensive like everything else has been so far," Cordi pleaded, blushing at her own poverty. All eyes were on her, and she was starting to get a little stage fright, which was rare. She handed him the small bag, which he took graciously. He opened the bag and pulled out a leather strand with necklace hooks on the ends. At the exact middle, there was a really sharp, and pearly white tooth on the end. Before Kankuro could ask, Cordi stated, "I'm considered the only one in my family who can make valuable jewelry from scraps. And since Aleera just started losing her baby teeth, she and I thought it would be cool. Its supposed to be able to boost your chakra a little bit and protect you from any fire attacks, considering it has to protect itself against a dragon breathing fire – so yeah." Kankuro was in awe.

"You made this?" Kankuro asked. Cordi nodded.

"Yeah, considering the other jewelry I've made, like the bracelet I'm wearing…" she said, holding up her wrist to show what she meant. The bracelet looked like it was made by a professional. It was beaded with precious looking stones on one strand, and on the other was a chain with beads dangling off of it like they were attached, but beaded also. "…and my earrings…" she added, showing more jewelry that looked professionally made dangling off her ears. There were six chains, like those of the bracelet, with similar stones attached. "…your necklace was easy. The only difficult part was figuring out how to tie the tooth properly without it falling out of its place," she explained.

"You made those?" Temari asked, completely dumbfounded.

"Yeah, about three years ago," Cordi stated, brushing the comment off her shoulder. "I've gotten way better at it since then."

"I want one of those for my birthday," Temari muttered to herself, making Cordi smile.

Kankuro looked at the necklace and smiled, "This gift is so cool! It'll really boost my chakra?"

"Well, that's what Aleera said. Reason being is it has her DNA in the cells making up the tooth, so it should keep some of her abilities," Cordi explained. She smiled to him, glad he liked the gift.

After her, several people gave Kankuro gifts, like organic purple face paint, a new set of Kunai knives, etc. After all the gifts were given, everyone went back to the dance floor for more music. Everything was going great. Kankuro was dancing in the middle of the floor with a group of friends as the strong beat of "Just Dance," by Lady Gaga boomed in the background. Temari was in the group too. Gaara sat at the bar, obviously not much of a dancer. Cordi danced with the group and let the computer DJ itself, because she had set it to random.

Suddenly, out of the corner of Cordi's eye, she saw something that could sabotage the party. Matsuri had arrived and was walking toward Gaara at the bar as he was finishing his bottle of beer. He didn't see her yet. Cordi started to walk over, so as not to disrupt anyone and attract too much attention, but she was on the other side of the dance floor, so it took her a little while.

Gaara looked over as he finished his sip and saw Matsuri, the woman who had basically ripped out his heart and stomped on it. He didn't want to talk to her, but he was unable to say no to her desperate face. "Gaara, I have something to say," Matsuri started, her hands moving over herself in a protective position.

**AN: **I've been wondering. When the hell did they state he was born January 19th? Because I never saw it. I just read it in a bunch of fanfictions. I figured it was a date that had spread through the fan world, and I when I originally wrote this, I had the funny ironic twist going that he was born on Valentine's Day. That was until I double checked and found it is actually January 19th, thanks to Wikipedia. But please, someone tell me, cuz it's driving me NUTS!

Oh, and please remember to review!!


	15. Chapter 14

**AN:** Thanks so much guys for all the views. I just want to say to my loyal viewers, since it's school time, and college has me working hard, you guys are catching up on my writing pretty fast. When I started putting this up, I had about fifteen chapters. Now I have seventeen, but you all have read fourteen counting this one (I'm not counting the prologue due to the fact that it is a prologue). So sometime this week, I'm going to stop updating at least once a day, but I'll try to keep it once a week, but I can't make any promises. So just so you all know, my updates starting this week are going to take longer due to college work and you guys catching up. I've been writing this story for three months, basically all summer, every day, for hours and hours, because I had nothing better to do. So that's the reason why I've been updating so fast. All of this was written in like late July. I know I'm ranting, I just wanted to make sure you all understand that you're almost completely caught up with me.

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, Ok, so it is actually stated on legitimate Naruto merchandise? Because, it wasn't in the show, I checked the info card they showed in the Chuunin exams and nada. And then I asked a good friend of mine who is like a Narutard to the MAX, and she said it wasn't stated in any of the comics or the episodes. So I was confused as to when they actually stated that he had a fixed birthday. Oh and, for your first comment, I'm not that cruel. ^.^

And to Thomas Drovin, I know, the suspense is killing you. Good thing you don't have to wait too long. I'll try not to make many cliff-hangers. I know how much it annoys me when I'm reading something, and the author ends the chapter in a cliffie, then doesn't update for like, years. It's down right depressing!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill.

**Chapter Fourteen: Just Friends … Right?**

**~Page 100~ [AN: Because I got that far! ^.^v]**

Gaara couldn't make his voice work. He didn't want anything to do with her anymore, but there was a part of him that was wondering what she was going to say and still wanted her around. He thought she was going to apologize, but he wasn't ready for that. He wasn't sure he'd ever be ready for that. He couldn't trust her anymore. But that nagging part of his mind had him rooted there for her.

He didn't want to be there anymore. He wanted to run. He wanted to tell her something harsh and walk away, but he couldn't. His mind was running a mile a minute, but his body was frozen. He wanted someone to help him, and Cordi could see this by the anguish showing on his face. Before Matsuri could say anything else, Cordi had waltzed in between them, positioning herself on one of Gaara's legs, making him divert his gaze to her and lose his attention on Matsuri. She ran her hands quickly through his wine red hair and pushed his head towards hers so their lips met. His eyes were wide in shock. 'What the HELL is going on!?' he asked himself. He looked at her confused; until he saw her eyes glare at him. He could almost hear her yelling at him, "Play along!" Getting what was going on now, he put an arm around her waist and he placed his other hand in her dirty blond locks, pressing themselves closer together. She opened her mouth and licked his lips, which opened, making his eyes close. She pushed her tongue against his and they could feel tingling sensations shooting in they're mouths. He pushed her tongue back, and suddenly from underneath his eyelids, he saw fireworks. Suddenly he was dazzled by the array of colors his mind's eye was showing him. That had never happened before. He could feel Cordi running her hands through his messy red hair, messing it up more. He could feel her hips slightly grinding with his. They could feel gazes on them both during their little make-out session, and not just Matsuri's. The entire party was looking at them.

Cordi pulled away and, keeping her face close to his, drifted her mouth to his ear. "Nicely done," she whispered in a congratulatory tone so quietly that only Gaara could possibly hear it. Then she giggled loudly saying, "Oh, Gaara," most likely for Matsuri's benefit. Gaara couldn't see her though because his eyes were closed. He kept his arm around Cordi's waist as she pulled away, and turned towards Matsuri. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there," Cordi apologized in a falsely sweet voice. Matsuri's face was crumpled into hurt and shock, and to Gaara, it felt oddly right. That was probably the face he had when he had found Matsuri and Kankuro on his desk.

"You … y-you two are t-together now?" Matsuri asked in a voice that sounded slightly broken, but she was obviously trying to hide it.

"Yeah," Cordi said cheerfully. "About a week now. I just can't keep my hands off him." She faked an embarrassed smile to Matsuri, holding on to his shoulder. Then she turned back to Gaara, still smiling, but then said, "I wanted to dance with you at least once before the night was over. Come on!" She quickly grabbed his hand, both feeling a slight shock like electricity, and dragged him out to the dance floor, leaving Matsuri in their wake looking as if she was about to start crying.

"I can't dance," Gaara whispered to Cordi in a worried tone once they settled themselves on the dance floor.

"Nor can I. Well, not solo dancing. I'm better at ballroom dancing, which no one does anymore," Cordi whispered back. He gave her a confused look. How could they dance if neither of them knew how? "Look, we're just going to dance simply. Put your hands on my hips," she instructed quietly. He gave her a mildly shocked face. "Do it!" she ordered again, quietly enough though no one overheard. So he put his hands on her hips. She put her arms around his neck, and they started swaying to the slow music playing now. It was "I'm With You," by Avril Lavigne.

Cordi could feel Matsuri's glare burning her skin. Cordi smiled on one side of her face, but frowned on the other. Gaara furrowed his brow and asked, "What is it?" as quietly as he could.

"She's not taking it," Cordi said, not looking at Matsuri, still smiling; but it was obvious to Gaara that she was troubled by this information from her tone. The smile was merely for Matsuri's benefit again. "You're going to have to kiss me," she stated, slightly angry with herself. Gaara gave her a curious look. "I started the last one. To make it look like you're over her, you have to kiss me," Cordi whispered. Gaara blinked his understanding, and then leaned down, meeting her ruby lips with his. He removed his hands from her waist and placed them in her hair again, holding their embrace together. She pulled herself up with her arms around his neck. She lifted a hand to his messy red hair, and twirled a few strands of it around her fingers. He licked her lips, gaining entrance. He pushed against her tongue, the familiar tingling brought back to life. He could see the fireworks again, and wondered what they meant. Suddenly, a thought came to his head that kind of depressed him. These last two kisses with Cordi were the best kisses he had ever received hands down, but he was never going to have her. She said this morning that she didn't want to date him because it would be weird. This was just an act to help him with Matsuri. There was a tiny voice in the back of his mind telling him to pursue this; that this was what he wanted, but he wasn't sure. She pushed his tongue back and played with it a little with hers. He switched sides, turning his head so he could get a different angle. She took it and continued to stroke his tongue with hers, driving him nuts. She started playing tricks with her tongue like making clovers and flipping it upside-down, which also began to drive him nuts.

She quickly snuck a peek over to the bar. Matsuri had left the building. Cordi tried to pull away, but Gaara gave a primitive growl, wanting his turn to show his tricks. Cordi sighed, and let him have his fun. He sucked on her bottom lip, nibbling on it a little, pulling her back into the kiss. He stroked and massaged Cordi's tongue, earning a small moan from her. He was able to wrap his tongue around hers, pushing and tugging on it. He'd flex his tongue a little, then relax it, then flex and relax, and so on. He pulled her tongue back into his mouth and started to stroke it with his teeth, lightly. They felt as if they were in their own little world, and the real world hid behind a tapestry that at any moment could be torn down, but it felt private enough. She moaned again, and he with her.

Suddenly, they were interrupted by someone standing next to them clearing their throat. They both broke the kiss, pulling out of each others' embrace to face an angry Temari and a confused Kankuro. "Why couldn't you guys simply get a room instead of giving Baki-sensei a heart attack over there?" Kankuro asked in a hushed tone, nodding his head towards his teacher who was almost catatonic except for his blinking.

"I have a bone to pick with you, Cordi," Temari scowled. Cordi shrank back a little at the fierceness of Temari's gaze. "Just wait till we are home," she stated quietly. She turned to the rest of the party and said, "Thanks for coming. We enjoyed having you all here, but sorry to say the party ends here tonight," Temari said to the crowd ushering them out. When Baki was saying good-bye, all he could do was blink at Gaara and Cordi strangely. Then he walked out. "I'm so sorry, Baki-sensei," Temari apologized for Gaara and Cordi.

* * *

"What the HELL was THAT!?" Temari screeched, pacing around the living room. Gaara and Cordi sat on the couch while Kankuro sat in a chair to the right. Kankuro had his hands steepled in his lap, and he looked to be in serious thought.

"I believe it would be called a kiss," Gaara stated bluntly. Cordi snorted a little, but Temari was not too pleased. Temari looked as if she was about to breath fire.

"YOU GUYS!!! I AM NOT WELL PLEASED!!!" Temari yelled.

Both Cordi and Gaara winced at her volume._ Could you tell that wench to quiet down a bit? Some of us are trying to sleep_ Aleera growled. Cordi frowned.

"Yeah, well we aren't well deaf. So turn the volume down," Cordi replied.

"What the HELL were you thinking!?" Temari yelled at the both of them. "You LIED to me!" she accused, pointing at Cordi.

"No, she didn't," Gaara stated in an annoyed tone. Temari gave him a look asking him how he would know. "I heard the entire conversation this morning about her not wanting to date me. I get it, too. What happened at the bar tonight was a simple ruse because Matsuri came, and I didn't know what to do."

"Don't people do that here, too? It's very common for a good friend to step in like that in a similar situation where I'm from," Cordi explained.

"That's barbaric," Temari scolded.

"But it's effective," Cordi replied. "Did Matsuri stay or leave?" Temari was silent. She knew that Cordi was right. "If there is anything I'm good at, it's helping friends get rid of people easily. For example, one of my cousins just moved back to America from England. When he started school, there was a girl who started stalking him. He told me about the ridiculous lengths she went to follow him around. He told me that he and his friends wanted her gone, but she just wouldn't leave them alone. Then he told me her name and what she looked like. She happened to be a girl I knew. This girl and I had hated each other since we'd met when we were five or six years old. She was a spoiled brat because her father was rich. She was the kind of girl who thought she could get anything she wanted. And she wanted my cousin. So I told him the next time he saw her, to talk to her and tell her that I said 'hi.' And that when she asked how he knew me, to tell her that we were cousins. When I talked to him later, he had done what I told him to do, and she quit stalking him right after he did that." Cordi shrugged when she finished her story. The Subakus looked at her strangely. She frowned back at them and said, "I dunno'. It's a gift."

"So, that's all you were doing?" Temari asked, completely not buying the story. "You were trying to get rid of Matsuri, who left thirty minutes before you guys quit making out?"

Gaara and Cordi were silent. There was no excuse for thirty minutes. "What I was wondering about was, what was with the growling and moaning?" Kankuro asked, an eyebrow quirked. "Were they just sound effects added much too late, or were they real?" Yet again, Gaara and Cordi were silent.

"Another thing I'm having trouble with is that they failed to realize people were TAKING PICTURES!!!" Temari snapped. "I mean seriously. Our reputation is going to tank if everyone thinks we're housing a gold-digging whore."

"EXCUSE ME!?" Cordi snapped back. "I'm not a whore. I'm most likely the only virgin in this room!" Gaara and Kankuro blushed, both obviously ashamed, as did Temari a little, but she pushed it back.

"You are not," Temari stated, a little quaver in her voice.

Cordi laughed. "You know, you lie like a rug, and a cheap one at that," Cordi smirked. They looked at her strangely again. "It means you're a horrible liar," Cordi explained. "It's something my Mom would always say when she could tell one of us was lying to her."

"That's not the point. They can sell those pictures to tabloids or newspapers, and people will think what they will. They can read into a picture like that. Ever hear the saying, 'A picture's worth a thousand words'!?" Temari argued.

"Yes, we use it frequently in my world. We also use 'Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones,'" Cordi replied. "Have you heard that one?" she asked sarcastically. Temari just glared at her. Cordi sighed then said, "I'm going to my room. Good night." She quickly exited the room and went upstairs. She announced that she had reached her room by slamming her door – hard.

Temari just screamed in anger, then stomped off to her room. Kankuro and Gaara watched their sister storm up the stairs, and then heard her door slam. Kankuro turned to his brother and said "Wow…"

"What?" Gaara growled, obviously annoyed.

"Oh, nothing…" Kankuro stated, not looking at his brother. It was silent for a little while, but then Kankuro asked nervously, "Hey, Gaara?"

"What?" Gaara asked in the same tone.

"What was it like?" Kankuro asked innocently.

"What was what like?" Gaara asked, not quite getting his brother's question.

"Making out with Cordi," Kankuro stated, as if it was obvious. "I mean, it must have been to your standards, because I'm pretty sure with your personality, it takes a lot to elicit a growl or moan from you."

Gaara pursed his lips, and was silent. Then he stated, "It surpassed my standards. It was weird. She made Matsuri seem like – well Cordi made it seem as if Matsuri didn't even know how to kiss someone. And then, there was this whole thing that when I closed my eyes, I saw fireworks. That never happened with Matsuri. It felt as if we were the only two people in the world, and nothing else mattered, which has never happened before either." Gaara was obviously a little confused by what happened. Kankuro was also confused. Kankuro had had a lot of girlfriends, and Matsuri was the best kisser of the bunch. It would be quite confusing.

"So, do you like her?" Kankuro asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I don't know. But I might as well not pursue it. Didn't you hear? She doesn't want to date me. She says it would be too weird," Gaara stated.

"Yeah, I get that. She knows more about you than I know most likely. I get it. She saw your life story on a TV show, which isn't really either of your faults. From what she told us, she probably lived your life. From what I see, you both have a lot in common," Kankuro stated. Then they heard the song "Missing" by Evanescence blare down from Cordi's room. Several phrases in it made Kankuro think of Gaara. "Also, if she listens to music like that, she has to know quite a bit about what it means to be an outcast. She's also sarcastic like you are, which makes me notice that you guys are so alike it's hard to find any differences between the two of you."

Gaara frowned at Kankuro, not really wanting to go through a lecture about girls he should date. "We look nothing a like," Gaara stated in his usual sarcastic monotone voice.

Kankuro frowned at his little brother, and growled, "Thanks for the observation, Doc. Obvious." Gaara shrugged, and leaned back in the couch cushions. "I'm just saying, you guys make a nice match. Now don't get me wrong, making out in public like that was weird. But you guys make a nice couple, oddly enough."

Gaara scowled at his brother. "But she doesn't want to date me," Gaara growled, reiterating his previous point.

"Look, I'm just saying. She might be better for you than Matsuri," Kankuro offered. He stood up and smiled at his brother. "I'm saying just think about it. I mean, I get it that it would be a little weird, but you guys can move past it if you can open her shell. Believe it or not, I think she's still healing from her alone experience. You both might be able to help each other with it." Kankuro turned to leave, but then he added, "Whatever you do, don't break her heart. From what I've heard and seen, she's as loyal as they come, and someone like that doesn't deserve to get hurt."

Gaara nodded, and let his brother leave him alone in the living room. He reminisced about what had happened this morning when he had come down, and stood behind the wall eavesdropping on his sister and Cordi.

"… _you've been there a lot for him recently. It would be very unlike him if he didn't even notice it," he heard his sister say, while walking through the foyer to the kitchen, and for some odd reason, he felt compelled to listen in. He quickly sidled up against the wall, and used his third eye to see the girls' expressions, setting it near the lamp hanging over the table, so no one would really look at it._

_"I'm not saying he wouldn't notice it," Cordi argued. "I'm just saying he would register it as an act of friendship, not an act of …" she stopped. He listened closer to see if she said anything else, but she didn't. Instead she added, "And I'm not even sure if I would date him in the first place."_

_"Why not?" Temari asked, a smug smile playing on her lips. Gaara cursed himself for letting his sister notice his presence. He hoped Cordi didn't notice. He didn't want her mad at him for listening in._

_"Is he right behind me?" Cordi asked, turning around promptly to find air behind her, not noticing his red hair on the other side of the wall. He prayed silently that she didn't notice he was there. He knew that they were talking about him, and was curious about the way the conversation was going. Cordi sighed, and continued, "Ok. I probably wouldn't date him because it would be weird. I mean, it's cool when he was a fictional character and I could dream about meeting him. It's kind of like meeting your favorite actor," she stated. He laughed a little, knowing exactly what she was talking about. There were many times that he would have loved to meet an actress on his favorite TV show, but he didn't know what he would do if that happened. Cordi happened to be handling this whole situation well. "But then start dating him? Stuff like that just doesn't happen. It's too weird," Cordi continued. Temari nodded understandingly. Gaara felt his heart drop a little, which he didn't understand. He didn't have feelings for her … right? "Especially for him because I already know so much about him, just because I read the comics and watched the show, I would seem like a stalker. But I'm not. I already knew his life story when I met him, but he didn't know mine."_

_"Well, what if it wasn't serious?" Temari asked casually, giving a knowing glance at his third eye. She wanted to show Gaara that there were other fish in the sea. She just wished that he would notice before it was too late._

_"That would be worse," Cordi groaned. Gaara's breath hitched. Would dating him be really that bad? He felt his heart sink again. "Because then it would be my dream with a bad ending."_

His brows furrowed as he was brought back to the present. What was she going to say when she stopped and shifted the subject? The question was driving him nuts. Then something rang through his head. _"Because then it would be my dream with a bad ending."_ He could here Cordi saying that, echoing through his mind. What dream was she talking about? Why would it have a bad ending? Suddenly, a clue shifted into place as he remembered the pause when she should have said something. Did she like him? And if she did, for how long had it been? And how could he have been so blind to it? He needed to talk to her. He needed to ask her. He needed to know what was going on right now.

He ran up to her room, and swung open the door, as a song named "Chop Suey" by System of the Down played in the background. He could hear her singing along with the heavy metal song, so he followed her voice, only to find she was in the shower, and just stepping out. His eyes went wide as he saw her, all of her, wet and steamy from the shower. And then he noticed she was naked. He could see her milky white breasts … then chivalry kicked in. Suddenly, a blush rushed to his face, one he couldn't contain, and Cordi screamed. "I'm so sorry," Gaara spluttered, turning around, covering his face with his hands, as she pulled the shower curtain around her for some coverage.

"What were you doing?" Cordi asked in a harsh whisper.

"Nothing," he replied, looking at the ceiling, his back still facing her. "I just came up here to ask you a question."

"Well, let me get dressed," Cordi ordered, snapping a towel off the rack and wrapping it around her. "I'll let you stay, if you promise not to look," Cordi said to the poor Kazekage who seemed oddly occupied by the stucco ceiling. He bit his lip and gave a small nod. She darted around him to her closet and quickly got changed into her pajamas. She grabbed a seat on her bed, then asked, "What did you want?" It wasn't until now that she noticed his eyes were screwed shut as he looked at the ceiling. "I didn't blind you, did I?" she asked sarcastically.

"No," Gaara replied. "Is the coast clear?" he asked, opening one eye, looking around a little.

"Yeah," Cordi stated, almost laughing at his reaction. "What do you want?"

"Well – I was wondering … I mean – Oh God, I'm not going to be able to say this," Gaara grimaced to himself. Cordi raised her eyebrows, confused at the stumbling Kazekage. "I'm just going to come straight out with it. Do you have feelings for me?" Gaara asked, his face looking curious and wanting.

Suddenly Cordi looked caught, which she quickly brushed off by looking down at her hands in her lap and asking innocently, "Why do you ask?"

Gaara was dumbstruck. Honestly, he didn't have an answer for that question. "Um… it's just that the kiss … it left me a little confused once all the facts about it were lain on the table," Gaara recovered.

Cordi noticed he wasn't giving her a straight answer, so she wouldn't either. "To tell the truth Gaara, I don't know. I mean, we're just friends right?" Cordi asked, her heart sinking with every word. The truth was, she liked him – a lot! She had liked him for years when she first saw him in the comic.

At the moment, Cordi was too preoccupied with her thoughts on her lie to preserve their friendship, she didn't catch Gaara's shoulders slump sadly. His face went from curious, to let down in a split second. "Yeah. Just friends," he muttered to himself.

He was about to walk out when he heard her say back to him, "I liked you enough to give you my first kiss." It was very quiet though, he almost didn't catch it. But he did.

"That was your first kiss?" Gaara asked, turning back around, his face contorted in confusion and disbelief. Cordi nodded her reply. "But it was amazing. I mean all the tricks you were doing. That couldn't have been your first kiss," Gaara stated, still in disbelief.

"I was just improvising. I had no idea what I was doing," Cordi confessed.

"What about with your other boyfriends?" Gaara asked.

Cordi's face fell sadly as she stated, "I've never had a boyfriend. Sure guys thought I looked good, but they were too worried about their reputation to date me. All of the guys I ever liked seemed to have a thing for my best friend. She was less toxic to their status at school." She frowned at the last part. Gaara couldn't help but feel empathetic to her. Matsuri had been his first girlfriend, and it seemed to take long enough for him to finally get girls to look more at the good in him than the bad.

"Well, it was an honor," Gaara stated. "The boys at school don't know what they missed." Cordi smiled at him, in thanks. And he smiled back. "Good night," Gaara said, shutting the door.

"Good night," Cordi replied cheerily. "Gaara," she whispered sadly to herself, "You'd never go for a fan girl like me." Silent tears slid down her cheek. It was her own self-fulfilling prophecy. She was doomed to live alone all her life. She knew Gaara would find a girl who was strong and worthy of being the Lady Kazekougou, the Kazekage's wife. But that wasn't her … because they were just friends.

**And that's all you'll ever be to him!** a darker version of her voice stated evilly in her mind. And so she sobbed silently to herself in the dark room.

As Gaara walked down the hallway back to his room, he realized it was starting to be painful to walk. His pants were starting to chafe. He looked down, and to his embarrassment, he realized he had tented. He didn't even notice it in her room, but it was obvious when it had occurred. He made a mental note to always knock before running in, this way he wouldn't be in the predicament he was in now. He prayed that his brother and sister stayed in their rooms so they wouldn't see him and point and laugh at his member making a tent of his pants.

* * *

The next morning, Rox sat at the gate waiting for Shikamaru. He wasn't normally late, so this was a first. He was almost an hour late. She had pulled out a Sudoku book, one of three that Cordi had gotten her these past couple Christmases. She had just finished three diabolical levels, when she heard the happy laughter of a three or four year-old, and oddly enough, she heard her sensei's indifferent tone. But he sounded different. He sounded happier, and more kid-like. Rox turned to see Shikamaru walking with a three and a half year old boy holding onto his pants leg. The boy had spiky black hair and Kurinai's red eyes. He wore blue overalls with a red shirt underneath it. Rox instantly knew who the kid belonged to.

Shikamaru though, was wearing black jeans and a green camouflage shirt. His hair was yet again tied up in the similar pineapple ponytail. His face though was not indifferent like usual. His face held a playful glow as he made faces at the little boy. In his hands, he held today's paper, which was normal.

He looked up to see Rox standing in front of them smiling. "What are we doing today?" Rox asked, still smiling.

"Well, I've been put on babysitting duty for little Asuma here," Shikamaru smiled, placing a fatherly hand on the boys head. "Asuma, this is Roxanne, my student … kind of," Shikamaru introduced. "Say hello."

"Hi!" the boy said cheerily, "I'm Asuma, and I'm three!" he declared, holding up three small fingers.

Rox laughed at the little boy's exuberance. "Hi, there Asuma. My name's Roxanne, but everyone calls me Rox or Roxy," Rox smiled at the little boy.

"Rocky?" he asked, unsure.

"Close enough!" Rox cheered, laughing and holding her hand up for a high-five. Asuma smiled and lifted his small hand to hers.

"You're pretty good with kids," Shikamaru complemented.

"Yeah," Rox laughed. "You two."

"So, what were you working on?" Shikamaru asked, eyeing the book held in her other hand.

"Oh, just a Sudoku book my sister got me for Christmas. I just finished three diabolical levels in a row, so I'm pretty happy with myself," Rox smiled. Shikamaru laughed at her excitement over the simple achievement. "Alright, you should try one. You won't be laughing anymore. You'd be begging at my feet for my secret."

"Maybe some other time," Shikamaru laughed. Then he gained an evil smirk and said, "I figured you'd want to look at today's paper. So here," he said, putting the paper in her free hand. "We'll see you later, then." With that, Shikamaru and little Asuma left Rox.

Asuma turned back to her and waved, saying, "Bye-bye Rocky!" Roxy smiled and waved goodbye to him.

Then she turned around to read the cover page of the newspaper. There was something weird about how Shikamaru acted. He had obviously read the paper already and found something amusing. Once her eyes laid on the front page article, she got what was happening. In big bold letters at the top read "**Kazekage's Fiery New Girlfriend!**" With a picture of Cordi and Gaara making out in a pub in the middle of a frozen dance floor. Gaara was leaning over her sister hungrily and provocatively, as Cordi's body arched to touch him. Her hands were knotted in with his messy wine red hair, as his were with her sister's caramel and honey locks. Cordi had a jean leg up around his hips, making the picture more provocative.

Everywhere in Konoha, there could be heard Rox's screeching voice, uttering one solid, "WHAAAAAAAAAAAATTTT!?!?!?!?!"

**AN:** So yeah. The ending is pretty funny, huh? And Asuma's and Kuranai's little boy is just adorable! For those of you who haven't read the comics or haven't watched Shippuden, Kuranai is preggers with Asuma's baby. Any way. Please remember to review! OH! And if you are wondering how I came up with Kazekougou, Kage means king in Japanese, so I figured the spouse of the Kage would be called Queen. So I looked it up and found Kougou, and decided to use it. So it would be like Hokage-Hokougou, Kazekage-Kazekougou. Get it?


	16. Chapter 15

**AN:** Wow! Guys, 650 views in such a short time? I feel so loved! Thanks so much. And hopefully you guys read my last AN, where I said updates would be longer. Yes? Well, that will kick in when you guys officially catch up, so don't worry. But when that happens, I'll try and make a set day. Probably Thursday, so if you're reading the comic or watching the show online, you can do that then read my story and have like a Naruto-fest, then go to sleep happy… unless I end the chapter in a cliffie, which I will try my hardest not to.

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, Yeah. I had a lot of fun writing that chapter. And all I have to say about the whole Gaara and Cordi thing is in due time. You'll see what I have in store for them. Some of it, you might not like, but that's the way the story HAD to unravel, otherwise it would be like any other Fanfic and just be boring.

And to Thomas Drovin, You have no idea how much it's biting them in the ass, but you will, soon, very soon!

And to GrimSpeck18, haha, yeah I had fun. But since it'll be a little while for Rox to see Cordi, she'd be calmed down a little, … not saying that I don't have a chapter with that in it though. No that chapter and the chapter before that are going to be a lot of fun to write… Actually, I'm already writing that chapter in a notebook waiting for my Bio-chem class to start on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays… I'm already having fun. Oh, I can't wait till I get to type that up. ^.^ squee!

And to Repentless Wind, Thank you. I'm happy to hear you enjoy my work so much. It's always nice to get new fans. Especially to hear from them. I never knew my story was so good that it was one that people just couldn't put down, but then again, I'm always harsh on my own work. I guess if I've read a few pieces of the story to someone who can't stand this kind of story, and that person really liked it though, it must be good (I'm talking about my mom. -.-o). Sorry, I'm rambling, but I'm very glad to here that you like this story so much. It gives me a shiny happy feeling.

Special Thanks to Repentless Wind, inugirl44, and Me and Gaara 4ever, for adding my story to your faves!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill.

**Chapter Fifteen: The Effects of an Article**

Temari stomped through the hallways of the Kazekage building, a tabloid in hand. Everyone who saw her instantly cleared out of her way. She looked MAD! She looked so mad she practically had steam coming out her ears. Her eyes were dead-set in a demented glare, and her hands were clenched into fists as she walked to the Kazekage office. Her mouth held a screwed on frown. She looked as if she were ready to kill.

"Uh, miss?" Gaara's assistant murmured, but quickly shut her mouth after earning a hurried glare from the angry blond.

Temari punched the door open and glared at Gaara, who was currently not paying any attention to her, but instead focusing on his paperwork. "Hello, Temari," he greeted in a bored tone, still writing out his paperwork, and not even looking at her.

"Don't you, 'Hello, Temari' me! Look at what's on the cover of the International Inquirer!" she snapped, slamming the tabloid down on his desk.

He rolled his eyes and held up the tabloid to read what she was so pissed about. "**Kazekage's Steamy Kiss with Recent House Guest: New Kazekougou In Our Future?**" he read out loud. He laughed at the article.

"THIS IS NOT FUNNY!" Temari yelled. "You are going to have paparazzi following you and asking questions. We will have no peace at home! And poor Cordi is going to get it too, just because you guys didn't think before you acted!" She stomped her foot down and glared at her little brother.

"I was actually laughing at the picture," Gaara stated. The picture was of Gaara and Cordi in the middle of a gawking dance floor. He was smiling a little in the kiss, as was she. Both had their eyes closed in pleasure. He was leaning over her, and she was on her tip-toes to meet him. Her hands were entangled in his red hair, as one of his was in her dirty blond hair. His other arm was wrapped around her waist, pulling her as close to him as possible. Her outer thigh was rising to wrap around his leg. "That's – that's nice," he smirked, dropping the tabloid back on his desk.

Temari glared at her brother, who just smiled back to her. Knowing she wasn't getting anywhere with him, she huffed, and turned back to leave. "Just so you know, if I ever get any lip from this, there will be hell to pay!" Temari growled before stomping away from his office. He just grimaced in her direction, then got up and shut the door.

* * *

Ronni was going for a normal walk with Lynne at around nine in the morning. They both were given a day off from training because Neji had a mission and Kakashi was helping Naruto train. During their walk, they came across Kakashi's training session. It was rather funny, considering he wasn't reading the normal **Ichi Ichi Paradise**. Currently, he was reading a magazine and laughing. "What's so funny, Kakashi-sensei?" Lynne asked. Naruto looked down at the girls who were walking by and stopping to see his teacher. He stopped his training for a small break and walked over to the group.

Kakashi smiled at the two girls and held the cover of what he was reading up, so they could see. It was the cover of the _International Inquirer_ holding in big, bold, yellow words **Kazekage's Steamy Kiss with Recent House Guest: New Kazekougou In Our Future?** Lynne's mouth dropped, and Ronni leaned in, eyeing it evenly.

"What – ?" Lynne rasped pointing at the picture.

Ronni stood up straight, a smirk plastered on her face and arms crossed proudly. "Well, it's about freaking time!" she laughed. Lynne turned to her, a confused face stuck in place of the normally jovial expression. "Look, I got my first kiss when I was five," Ronni stated nonchalantly. "She's thirteen years behind. She needed to pick up the pace."

Naruto, Kakashi, and Lynne looked at her differently. Naruto looked jealous. Kakashi looked as if he didn't believe her. And Lynne looked disgusted. "That is nothing to brag about, Ronni," Lynne stated.

"Of course it is!" Ronni stated proudly. "Also, if they're dating, great! She's gotten her first boyfriend. She'll quit asking me to share my experiences with my boyfriends, and I'll get to return the favor." Ronni smiled evilly as she said this.

"She didn't have a boyfriend before I met you guys?" Lynne asked. She was the newest member of the gang. She had only joined three years prior, but she was still considered a sister in their group. The five of them were closer than Siamese twins.

Ronni smirked at the older girl and stated, "Cordi has had a bad case of what we call unrequited love. Every guy she's had a crush on had no interest to date her." The rest of the group furrowed their eyebrows at Cordi's best childhood friend. Ronni sighed then stated, "She has really high standards. She's not high maintenance from what I've seen of her. She's not clingy, and she definitely doesn't need to have a man around, which she has made painfully obvious.

"Anyway, she will only like a guy if he's a perfect gentleman. All of those guys who she had met in the past that were gentlemen, they never returned her feelings. The vast majority of the time, they led her on, and then they laid down the 'Just Friends' bullshit." Ronni pursed her lips, only to add, "Especially the part about being friends. None of them really wanted her around. They just wanted to let her down easy, because they were gentlemen. A lot of the time, they were crushing on another girl, which they would go and date within a week of them letting her down." Lynne looked hurt, as did Naruto. No one could really tell what Kakashi was thinking because over half his face was covered. "As I said. A bad case of unrequited love. You have no idea how many times I've had to comfort her after a bout with one of those guys."

Lynne frowned, and then asked, "So that's her first kiss they took pictures of?"

"Most likely," Ronni nonchalantly, shrugging a little. "You know, both she and Gaara have led a crap life. Maybe they can do some good for each other," Ronni laughed. Then she turned, smiling to Naruto and Kakashi. "Thank you both for the chit-chat. We'll see you later. Come on, Lynne."

Lynne nodded and turned to leave, but then turned back to Kakashi and asked, "Can I have that?" pointing to the tabloid.

Kakashi frowned at his recent pupil. "What will I read?" he asked.

"Don't you have an **Ichi Ichi Paradise** in your pouch. I thought you always carried one around," Lynne smiled. Kakashi pouted through his mask, then handed the tabloid in defeat to Lynne.

"Thanks," Lynne smiled. Then she joined up with a bored Ronni, which was rather rare. As she reached Ronni, she smirked evilly and stated, "I wonder how Rox took it." Ronni snorted, then roared with laughter, as Lynne laughed along.

* * *

Fred had half her day off from training. Apparently Sakura was needed at Tsunade's pronto. So Fred decided to walk the town. Rox was busy with Shikamaru, and Ronni and Lynne were hanging out today and Fred had no hopes of being able to join them. They could have been anywhere at the moment, and Fred was in a lazy mood. So she enjoyed a stroll around town. She stopped in a local tea shop for a small drink when she saw a girl with long dark blue hair and white eyes walk in.

The girl had a figure Fred would be jealous of, but the girl covered it up, which made no sense to Fred. The girl kept her arms up in a defensive manner. And when Fred saw Naruto and Kakashi walk in for a drink, she saw the girl freeze as he said "Hello," to her. 'So this is Hinata,' Fred thought to herself.

She walked up to the girl who was sitting alone at a table and asked, "Mind if I join you?" Hinata mumbled an undecipherable reply, to which Fred quirked an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

"Sure," Hinata stated a little more loudly. Fred smiled and sat down, looking at the Hyuuga heir.

"So, you're Hinata, right?" Fred asked.

"Yes," Hinata replied, slightly perplexed. "H-how did you know?"

"I have my ways," Fred smirked. "Now, you like blondie-bear over there, right?" Fred asked quietly, pointing to an oblivious Naruto. Hinata blushed a ridiculously red color.

"What about it?" Hinata asked, trying to act coolly, but not doing so well.

"It looks like you need some help," Fred stated, pursing her lips. Hinata's eyes widened. She had just prayed for some help, but she wasn't expecting to get it. "Because honestly, it's painful to see how oblivious he is to your feelings," Fred added. Hinata blushed even more.

"Who are you?" Hinata asked, worry crossing her face.

"My name is Fred Butler," Fred replied, smiling. "But you can think of me as your Fairy Godmother."

Hinata looked a little perplexed by what she said again. "How can you be my Godmother? You're younger than I am."

Fred's face fell and she stated, "That's beside the point. The point is I'm going to help you get him." Fred smiled again. "Just meet me by Ichiraku's tomorrow morning, and we'll get started." Hinata blushed a little and agreed. Fred smiled, then got up and left, thanking Hinata for the nice chat. She realized she hadn't been spending a lot of time with Cherokee lately and decided to give her a visit.

* * *

"Well, long time, no see," Cherokee growled at Fred when she arrived at the dragons' clearing in the Forest of Death. Cherokee had grown a little to the size of a small house. Her green scales glistened in the sun that filtered through the heavy tree cover. She swung her head down to look at Fred who grimaced guiltily.

"Sorry, training's been a bitch. I think for all of us," Fred answered.

"Oh, no. I got that much. But a little visit is all I'm asking for," Cherokee replied, not looking at Fred. Instead, she picked out the dirt in her claws. Then she smirked and asked, "Did you hear the news?"

Fred donned a confused look and replied, "No. What?" Fred knew Cherokee was the biggest gossip monger of the five dragons. She always had the biggest scoop and always willing to share. She reminded Fred of a lot of girls at high school.

"Cordi and Gaara were seen making out on the dance floor of a bar. The picture is pretty … well it doesn't leave much to the imagination," Cherokee informed, laughing at the little tidbit. Her chuckle was deep and throaty.

"No," Fred laughed, not believing the story.

"Yes. Lynne and Ronni have the article and are reading it to Saryu and Nessie. I can take you to them if you'd like," Cherokee offered, eyeing Fred for her acceptance. Fred nodded her reply. Cherokee smiled and picked Fred up, placing her on her antlers, then walked over to another clearing that was rather large. Nessie was in the local watering area, cooling herself off. Saryu had himself wrapped around a tree trunk and one of its branches. Gryffin was sitting on the edge of the trees, his head poking out of the leaves holding a concentrated look. Both Lynne and Ronni sat on a rock, reading a magazine out loud.

"Hey, guys," Fred called down from her perch. Lynne and Ronni looked up from their current entertainment to smile and wave.

"Hey," Gryffin, Saryu, and Nessie replied simultaneously. They turned back to the two girls sitting on the rock and listened intently. Cherokee let Fred down gently then joined Gryffin and Saryu in the trees.

"Is this the article?" Fred asked, walking up to her sister and friend. They both nodded. "Can I see it?" Fred asked. Ronni nodded, handing the tabloid to her sister.

Fred smiled and grabbed, quickly snagging a spot on another rock to read. It was an exclusive. I talked about what was going on, where it had happened, quotes from people who had been there and saw it happen, and what others from the general public thought after hearing this. All this hoopla made Fred laugh as she finished reading the article. She set the tabloid down and said, "You know, if you want the real scoop, you could just ask Cordi. I mean we are her best friends. This is for people who don't really know and are trying to differentiate what they don't know."

"What do you mean?" Lynne asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I mean, we don't necessarily know that they are dating," Fred replied. "All this happens to be is speculations on a famous person. Seriously, how much of that stuff is real? All we really know is they kissed. That could be it."

"Cordi wouldn't kiss someone she wasn't dating already," Ronni replied, giving her sister a 'DUH!' face. "Honestly, how many guys have you seen her make out with randomly?"

"Gaara doesn't seem likely to make out with random people either," Lynne pointed out, more to herself though. Fred ignored that comment and decided instead to answer her sister's question.

"I haven't. But they would have a reason for doing that publicly, because I know Cordi wouldn't just make out with someone in public. She doesn't like people staring," Fred also pointed out. "They might not be dating is all I'm saying. We could just ask her you know. She would tell us because we're her best friends. She wouldn't tell random strangers, which is why the tabloid doesn't know anything."

Ronni and Lynne nodded their agreement with that statement. "All I know is, it's been ridiculous trying to calm Rox down," Gryffin added. "She's been giving me a headache." The girls laughed at his pained expression. "Seriously, she's been ranting about it for two days straight. I'm surprised she hasn't told you guys."

"Well, who told her?" Ronni asked.

"I'm placing my bets on Shikamaru," Lynne voted.

"And you'd be right," Gryffin grimaced. "He handed her a newspaper yesterday. It was on the front page." Saryu laughed a deep and throaty laugh. "What's so funny?" Gryffin asked dangerously.

"I'm just glad Lynne isn't like that. It would drive me nuts," Saryu laughed, showing a toothy grin.

Gryffin although didn't like it when people insulted Rox. "Watch it. You're going the right way for a kicked ass."

"Pfft," Saryu replied, rolling his eyes. "As if you could lay a claw on me."

"Well your body's so freakishly long, it would be harder to dodge my attacks," Gryffin replied.

"Oh, you want to go?" Saryu instigated. "We'll go."

"Stop it guys," Nessie growled, which was a rare occurrence. Most times she was happy and bubbly. "Your testosterone levels are giving me a headache." Both Saryu and Gryffin glared back at Nessie, who was oblivious to them.

"You just miss Aleera to argue around with don't you?" Cherokee smirked at Gryffin.

"What?" Gryffin asked acting confused. "No!"

Cherokee smirked more. "Oh, you so do!" Nessie laughed, pointing a webbed claw at him.

"Yeah, your blushing like a girl," Saryu laughed. Lynne, Ronni, and Fred couldn't see his blushing, but laughed at the spectacle.

"I am not!" Gryffin growled back.

"Aw, I think Gryffin actually likes Aleera," Cherokee joked. Gryffin, unable to contain his anger anymore, tackled Cherokee, biting at her neck.

"HEY!" Fred yelled. "STOP IT BOTH OF YOU!!" And they did.

"Haha," Cherokee laughed walking back to the clearing. "Touchy, touchy." Gryffin glared back at the other dragons, then he stalked off to brood alone in the forest.

Then, they heard randomly through the forest, "Screw all of you!" Saryu just laughed victoriously at Gryffin's attitude.

"Dude, that's enough," Nessie stated. Saryu nodded and shut up.

"You know, this just proves it," Lynne stated in a depressed tone, completely changing the subject, holding up the tabloid defeatedly.

"What?" Ronni and Fred asked simultaneously.

"That you four are meeting and getting together with the guys you liked on the show, and I'm not," Lynne pouted. "It's just disappointing."

"I'm not taking Sai, so I'm still in that boat," Fred reminded. Ronni didn't say anything.

"Well, I'd disprove you from my part, except Kiba and I have really started to become good friends. I love going with him to play with the dogs at the Kennel," Ronni smiled.

"Whatever," Fred laughed, rolling her eyes at her little sister. "Look, we aren't going to leave you behind in the dating field here. Ok? You just have to find your guy."

Ronni stifled a giggle through a snort. Lynne glared at the younger girl and asked, "What's so funny?"

"Well, most of us who have watched the show think Sasuke is a waste of time and … oh what's that saying?" Ronni stated, pausing to think. "Oh, right. He's a lost cause." Lynne frowned. "Sorry to be the voice of reality."

"Well, the voice of reality sucks!" Lynne snapped.

"And Ronni isn't the sharpest crayon in the box," Fred interjected, getting in between her sister and her best friend. "You should know that what Ronni says, take with a grain of salt. She and Cordi are pessimists. Just Ronni puts it in a brighter light." Lynne frowned and nodded. "I think you'd be able to find Sasuke." Lynne looked up at Fred hopefully. "And if not, well you can have Sai," Fred added, smirking victoriously. Lynne pouted again. "I'm just kidding!" Fred laughed, playfully punching Lynne to lighten the mood. Lynne nodded solemnly, and turned back to the article.

**AN:** And, so much for chapter fifteen! Aw, poor Lynne… but her day will come, rather soon actually ^.^. Remember to please review! I do reply to you all when I can! Actually, in all truth, this story has gotten more reviews than any other one of my stories combined. So yeah, be happy!


	17. Chapter 16

**AN:** Wow! Guys, 700+ views in such a short time? I feel so loved! Thanks so much. The next post I will have will be on Thursday, if not, then Saturday. After this chapter you have caught up to me, so yeah. Sorry if you want me to update more often, but you guys know how school is. =.=o … Wow so many reviews to reply to… That's a good problem.

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, Who Kakashi or Gaara? Well, personally, I don't think Gaara actually gave a shit, but Kakashi sure found it entertaining.

And to Thomas Drovin, No, Gaara's good now. He wouldn't try to kill the paparazzi… Ok, he probably would, but he won't, because he's a good guy now. He doesn't kill for shits and giggles now. But I'll get back to that story later.

And to GrimSpeck18, Yup, here comes all the screen time for your character. ^.^ I hope you like what happened to Sasuke.

And to Repentless Wind, Lynne does get her man… eventually. However, I just have to say this about Fred, check the Prophecy. Does Sai fit?

And to princessSiyaka, I thought you said you were coming by. Liar! JK. You don't need to come by now, because it's up… but you're welcome to come by and edit what you will on chapter seventeen. I have like two paragraphs left to write, and then it's done.

And to perfect-piscies, Thanks for leaving a review. I know, it's not only fun to read, but a lot of fun to write also!

Special Thanks to Fanfiction Lover1, assira, and perfect-piscies, for adding my story to your faves or to your alerts!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill.

**Chapter Sixteen: Transforming Hyuuga**

Hinata stood in the community square waiting for Fred. She wasn't sure what Fred was going to have her do, just that Fred was going to help her get Naruto, the man of her dreams. She felt awkward just standing there alone. She had never just stood somewhere by herself, and the people passing her who knew her noticed. She couldn't quit blushing. She had been standing there for somewhere between forty-five minutes to an hour.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Fred smiled, running up to the raven-haired young woman.

"I-it's alright," Hinata murmured.

"NO!" Fred scolded, pointing an accusing finger at the Hyuuga heir. "That's the first thing that has to go! You are no longer allowed to speak at that decibel!"

"B-but…" Hinata tried, still at the same volume.

"No buts!" Fred stated. "I can guarantee you that Naruto wants a girl who isn't afraid of him! You need to have a strong mind! You need to have the perseverance to not be afraid to talk to him!" Hinata looked worried. She was always quiet, what was wrong with it?

"Why?" Hinata asked still quiet.

"Why? Most people want someone they can talk to, someone who isn't afraid to have a voice. Why are you so shy?" Fred asked, narrowing her eyes at the older girl.

Hinata was silent for a little while, thinking of her reason. She had a reason, she knew she had one. Her only problem was remembering it. "I guess it's because I'm not pretty enough. Naruto would never look at me," Hinata finally managed, slightly saddened by her reason as she lowered her head to look at her feet.

"Oh, that's bullshit!" Fred snapped. "You are plenty gorgeous! You just don't know how to show yourself off! That's lesson number two!" Fred smiled, which scared Hinata. Suddenly Fred grabbed Hinata's hand and dragged her over to a clothes store. As soon as they walked in, Fred dragged her back to the women's section. She dropped her hand, but just as soon, thrust clothes that seemed somewhat revealing to Hinata. "You need to show off your figure! I know you have one. And that is about half the score of whether men consider you pretty or not. The next forty is the face, and the ten after that is hair." When it seemed as if Hinata was about to fall over from the massive pile of clothes in her arms, Fred finally permitted her to leave and get a dressing room. "Now, change!" Fred ordered, shoving Hinata into the small stall. Then she slammed the door, forcing Hinata alone with the mountain of clothes.

Hinata sighed, and then grimaced as she stripped and grabbed an outfit Fred had handed her. She put on a fishnet/mesh top, a corset over that, and a pair of short shorts. She felt uncomfortable as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her obvious silhouette made her feel uncomfortable and naked.

"COME ON!!!" Fred yelled. "SHOW ME!!! IT DOESN'T TAKE THAT LONG TO PUT ON A NEW OUTFIT!!!" Hinata sighed, frowning with uncertainty. She grimaced as she opened the door to show Fred. Fred's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Hinata suddenly felt very self-conscious of herself. She crossed her arms over her chest. "No, don't cover yourself!" Fred snapped, slapping Hinata's hands away. "You look hot! I mean, damn, what I would give to have your cleavage!" Fred stated, gawking at the Hyuuga. She raised her eyebrows as if to ask "Really?" Hinata had what could best be described as dangerous curves. She had about a D size cup with a twenty-six inch waist. Her hips widened delicately, but then curved back into thin legs. Fred smiled victoriously at the transformation. "Honestly, if you dress like that, Naruto would be retarded not to notice you!"

This made Hinata smile. "Thanks," Hinata whispered.

"Don't whisper," Fred scolded again. "You need to gain self confidence. You need to be sure of yourself. Now, go back and change."

Hinata nodded and turned around, walked back into the stall, shutting and locking the door behind her. She stripped again and grabbed another outfit.

* * *

Lynne, Ronni, and Rox were hanging out with each other, having lunch at Ichiraku's Ramen. Fred had asked them to wait there, so when she was done transforming Hinata, she could show her off. Lynne was complaining again about the unfairness of her not being able to meet the guy she liked from the show. None of them noticed the whiskered blond sitting on the other side of the bar. Neither did they notice that he was listening in on them.

"Who was the guy you liked?" Naruto interrupted, too curious for his own good.

Lynne was tight-lipped. "Sasuke Uchiha," Rox and Ronni sang, making Lynne blush.

"Oh, no," Naruto groaned. "Not you too!"

"Ha ha, yeah, her too. Too bad about the whole Sasuke running away and joining the dark side," Rox laughed. Lynne frowned, hiding how pissed she was becoming.

"Well, yeah, but he came back a while ago," Naruto scoffed taking a sip of his soup.

"Huh?" Lynne asked, perking up at the prospect of Sasuke being around.

"Yeah, after Madara killed Danzou, which pissed Sasuke off to no end, he split from Akatsuki. Hawk split, due to their differences. Karin died, apparently Madara thought she was too annoying, so took the liberty of have Zetsu murder her. The bipolar guy, I think his name was Juugo, got really pissed about Karin dying, and killed Zetsu, and then Madara killed him. Then Suigetsu and Sasuke joined Madara, because Suigetsu hated Karin and I think Sasuke just didn't care. Then Madara killed Danzou, when he knew Sasuke wanted that honor. So Sasuke left, and came back to Konoha, because there was nothing left for him," Naruto explained. Lynne gawked in confused bliss at Naruto.

"Well," Naruto started again, screwing up his face a little. "That's not entirely true… either. See since he was pissed at Madara, he challenged him and got beaten pretty badly. And we were chasing Madara anyway, because he killed the 'Hokage.' When we got there, Sasuke was near death, so we brought him back with us and healed him at the Konohan hospital. That was about a year ago. He's been here ever since, hoping for another mission to kill Madara."

"So, he's here!?" Lynne squealed. Naruto nodded slowly. Suddenly Lynne jumped up and screamed with excitement, then started running around in circles singing "Sasuke's not evil, Sasuke's not evil!" (With the "I've Got a Jar of Dirt" Tune. If you haven't seen Pirates of the Caribbean … then that's just depressing!)

The three others just watched her run her happy circles in the middle of the street. Naruto looked confused, while Ronni and Rox just frowned. "We're never going to get her to stop are we?" Ronni asked.

Rox regretfully shook her head no.

* * *

When Hinata finished trying on clothes, she walked out with an approved pile. Fred smiled and whisked her and her new outfits to the register and paid for the clothes. Fred then looked at Hinata, studying her face and then just said, "Hair," before dragging Hinata and her bags out the door to the hair-stylist two buildings over.

"Hi," Fred said to the obviously gay teen sitting behind the counter. She gestured to Hinata and stated, "We need her to get a new hair style, something that's less 'I'm an innocent little girl,' which is what we have now, to something more along the lines of 'I'm a sexy vixen.' Can you do that?"

The gay man smiled and said, "Sure, that's easy!" giving both of them a small wave. He quickly keyed in the appointment, then got up from his chair and said, "Right this way," ushering them to an open seat in front of a large mirror and a bunch of hair supplies. "Please, take a seat." And just as Hinata was about to sit down, he then added, "Oh, and loose the sweatshirt." Hinata nervously pulled off the sweatshirt, and gave it to Fred's awaiting arms. The man ran his hand a couple times through Hinata's raven lochs. He quickly turned to Fred and asked, "So what you envisioning?"

"Well," Fred nodded, getting up to gesture what she wanted for Hinata's hair. "I want it angled and layered. In the front, she should have bangs that go down to her chin, but for her back it should be relatively the same length. Maybe a centimeter shorter for split ends. I just really think the single length she has right now is just dull, and doesn't fit her." The hair-stylist nodded. "Also, I was thinking a body wave, because she's a ninja, she doesn't have time to style it every day. So a body wave is just easier because it's like she styled but she didn't and it lasts."

The hair-stylist nodded again, smiling. "Yeah, sure. I see exactly what you're saying. The single length is definitely drab. Alright. So let's get your hair washed before we start. Come over here," he smiled, ushering Hinata to the back. Reluctantly, Hinata followed, until Fred gave her a reassuring thumbs up.

It only took an hour or so for him to cut and angle her hair the way Fred requested, which he then had to dry, otherwise the body wave chemicals wouldn't work due to Hinata's hair being wet. After that, it took him about thirty minutes to mix the chemicals for the body wave. He then put the curlers in her hair, smudging the chemical solution, what he called a Fixer. He then had Hinata sit under a dryer for about an hour, during which she read a magazine … It took her a while to notice there was a picture of Gaara and Cordi making out on the cover, which made her laugh a little. (Sorry guys, I just had to.) When the dryer beeped, the hair-dresser came over and took the curlers out, putting them in a bucket of water. Once he finished doing that, he lightly brushed her hair, settling Hinata's hair into silky raven waves.

He covered her eyes then walked her over to a mirror, only to squeal "TADA!" as he revealed his masterpiece to Hinata. She just gawked at the mirror. There was no way that the white eyed super-model looking back in the mirror was her. "I know. Don't you look hot!? This has got to be one of my best transformations, ever!" the hair-dresser giggled. Hinata saw Fred in her peripheral grinning like the Cheshire cat. Fred paid the guy, leaving him a generous tip, and then asked where the closest make-up store was, and he pointed her to the next store over.

"Come on Hinata, we have one more stop!" Fred smiled, and then dragged her to the next store. She sat Hinata down at one of the counters, then hailed down a clerk. "Yeah, we need an entire set of makeup, and if you would be so kind as to give my friend a make-over, that would be great." The clerk nodded and looked at Hinata as a painter would a blank canvas.

"Alright," the twenty-seven year old woman said, grabbing several different shades of base. "Look at that light over there," she instructed, which Hinata followed. The clerk splashed three different streaks of base on Hinata's jaw line, seeing which one blended better. She chose the first one, and wiped the other two off. She had Hinata face her again, and applied the base, and then added the matching powder. Then blush to bring out some color in Hinata's face. It was time for the eyes, and the clerk looked at her again studiously. "You should have the smoky-eyes. It will bring more color to your face." She ran to the back and grabbed a shade of rose pink, dark brown, and cream. When she returned, she applied the cream to her entire eye-lid, then the rose pink over the thin part of the lid, and then the brown in the crease. She rubbed her ring finger lightly over Hinata's lid, blending the colors, giving them a smoldered look. She grabbed a dark brown eye-liner pencil, and traced the edges of Hinata's eyelid, which was hard, because Hinata's eyes wouldn't stop twitching, because she had never done this before and it tickled a little. Then the clerk grabbed a tube of mascara, and applied the brush to both sets of long eyelashes, pressing the brush against them so the ink made them curl. "And last but not least, the lips," the clerk sighed. She held up a hot pink tube of glittering lip gloss, applying it to the Hyuuga's small lips. The clerk stepped away and smiled, saying "Voila. My work is done." She held up a mirror so Hinata could see, and all Hinata could do was gawk at her reflection again.

Fred smiled again, and paid the clerk for her wonderful work, and for Hinata's new makeup collection. "Alright, let's get you home and changed into a new outfit. And then it's down to Ichiraku's to see Ronni, Rox, and Lynne who have been waiting patiently there to see you," Fred explained, smiling at the new Hinata. All Hinata could do was nod.

It didn't take them long to reach the Hyuuga house. When they walked through, though, Neji and Hinata's dad were talking in the kitchen. Both did a double take as Fred and Hinata walked by. They ignored the boys though, and continued to Hinata's room. Fred had Hinata change quickly into a mesh top, a corset, and a short skirt. Once she finished changing, Fred opened the door to leave, but it was blocked by Neji.

"Excuse us," Fred said, as she noticed the conversation Neji was going to start ran from his head as he saw Hinata's outfit. "Come on," Fred added grabbing Hinata's hand and walking her out of the house and down to Ichiraku's. Throughout their walk, Hinata's new looks were turning heads of the other local villagers. Most of them being men, whose wives and girlfriends quickly slapped them for looking. As soon as they reached Ichiraku's, Fred smiled and announced, "Allow me to introduce to you, the new Hinata!" And Hinata took her queue to enter, earning gasps from Ronni, Rox, and Lynne. Naruto sat in the corner, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

"Hinata is that you?" He asked, running up to her. He couldn't get over her dangerous curves, or her accentuating wavy hair, or even the smoldering colors placed on her eyes, making her entire face pop.

She blushed and gave a small nod. She could see Fred scowling though, so she corrected herself with, "Yes, do you like it?"

Everyone noticed Naruto struggle to keep his hand from reaching up and running through Hinata's hair. "Y-yeah. Y-you look … r-really good," he stuttered, making Hinata smile. He never stuttered around her before.

"Thanks," Hinata smiled. She felt really good about herself, like there was no need to be shy around Naruto anymore. It was his turn to be shy around her.

"I-I," Naruto started, then looked nervously at the clock. "Aw, man I have to go. But I'll see you around… say dinner, Monday at six?"

Suddenly, Hinata's face brightened with a huge grin and she nodded. "Y-yeah, that would be great," she replied, not believing Naruto had just asked her out on a date.

Naruto gave a toothy grin, and said "Alright, thanks! See you!" With that he walked off.

When he was out of hearing distance, Hinata gave a happy gasp, a huge grin settled on her face. "Yes!" she squealed. "You!" she turned to Fred, giving her a bone-crushing hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!" She suddenly just jumped, letting go of Fred, and ran a little victory circle in the street. "You … You are the BOMB! If you ever need help with anything, anything at all, just tell me! Okay? I don't think I can ever repay you enough!"

Fred smiled at the ecstatic twenty-year-old. "It's alright. Now would you like to grab some dinner. I'm famished, and I'm surprised you're not." Hinata laughed and nodded, grabbing a seat at the bar next to the other girls, who held up their hands to high-five Hinata.

* * *

Back at the Subaku's House, there was a knock at the door, which Cordi quickly went and answered. It was a post man, holding a small package which was labeled, Cordelia Turner. "Here you go miss," the post man said, handing her the package. When he noticed who it was, he smiled then held up a magazine and asked, "Can I get your autograph?" Lo and behold it was another magazine with her and Gaara on the cover. She just shut the door on his face, locking the deadbolt.

She was really getting sick and tired of the people asking her that. That's why she had stayed in the house most of the afternoon. Just this morning she had had thirty people walk up to her with one of those magazines, and ask for her autograph. Granted, since it had been a week, it had died down. Originally it was like a hundred a day. Not to mention the paparazzi and the angered fan-girls. She shuddered at the thought._ You know, I could always eat them for you_ Aleera offered.

_No, you can't because then we become menaces, not heroes_ Cordi replied, sighing a little.

She walked back to the living room, grabbing her seat on the couch that she had left to answer the door. She opened the package and saw one of those magazines and a newspaper article clipping, along with a note written in her sister's writing, "Do you mind explaining this to me? Because, honestly, I'm stumped." She laughed at her sister. Then there was another knock at the door.

Cordi rolled her eyes, and got up to answer the door again, dropping the articles on the coffee table._ I will laugh hysterically if it's another person wanting your autograph_ Aleera laughed. Cordi snickered at it too. When she opened the door, she saw Matsuri standing there, with sad eyes. She could hear Aleera growl in the back of her mind. Cordi had over half her mind to shut the door in her face. But then she saw something on Matsuri's shirt that made her frown. Cordi opened the door wider and said, "Come on in."

**AN:** I know. You all are just like ., why did she just invite Matsuri in!? Trust me I have my reasons, which you will find out most likely Thursday. Sorry for leaving you guys with a cliffie, and a somewhat short chapter… Please review! Thanks!


	18. Chapter 17

**AN:** Wow! Guys, 900+ views in such a short time? I feel so loved! Thanks so much. I've kept my promise! … Wow so many reviews to reply to… That's a good problem.

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, haha, If you came to live at my school, you'd have to hide under my bed... I'm glad to hear you find my writing so entertaining.

And to Thomas Drovin, I liked Hinata's shy side too, but if you're trying to get a guy, and shyness isn't working, it's time to kick it aside and adopt a more strong personality. You get what I'm saying? That's what annoyed me about that. If you have a dumb-blond like Naruto, you kind of need to be obvious, at least to him. And yeah, Lynne is about to get her chance. ^.^

And to GrimSpeck18, How did I know you'd say that?

And to Repentless Wind, haha, you're about to get thrown for a loop now, aren't you? ^.^

And to princessSiyaka, Haha, well it's not as slutty as you think. I didn't say mini-skirt. I said short skirt, meaning mid-thigh. Medium skirts are knee-length, and long are… well you get it.

And to perfect-piscies, You are very perceptive. But you will find out very soon, but I don't think you know exactly what's going on, but you're very close! ^.^

And to Gaara's1Girl, You too are very perceptive. I did get Cordi and Fred from Angel. The girl I actually based Fred's character on, well she said if she changed her name, it would be Winnifred, so that's why. And for Cordi, I usually use Victoria… but that name was ruined by a girl I went to school with last year, so yeah. As for the whole Matsuri thing… well you'll find out in a few short paragraphs. And the dragons… well actually I took the idea from the Inheritence series (you know, Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, those). But I wanted the dragons to be able to talk-talk, not just minds linked together, that's boring.

Special Thanks to Gaara's1Girl for adding my story to your faves or to your alerts!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill.

**Chapter Seventeen: Matsuri's Reason**

Cordi opened the door a little more, because Matsuri stood there dumbfounded, not really registering the fact that Cordi, who happened to hate Matsuri's guts for a very good reason right now, was offering her into the Subaku house. "Well, come on. I'm figuring you want to talk to Gaara and Kankuro, right?" Cordi asked snippishly. Matsuri nodded and walked in. As soon as she was in, Cordi shut the door with a loud bang, reminding Matsuri of a cop locking a prisoner in jail._ I don't get you! I thought you hated her!_ Aleera snapped.

_I do hate her. And normally I would have shut the door on her face, but she has to talk to them now. And my principles will not deny her that right,_ Cordi explained to her dragon.

_Whatever!_ Aleera said. Cordi felt Aleera's mind recede from hers, and sighed.

"KANKURO, GAARA!! ONE OF YOU HAS A BUN IN THE OVEN!! GET YOUR ASSES DOWN HERE!!" Cordi called upstairs. Matsuri gave her a strange look, but then heard rustling upstairs.

"I don't remember cooking anything, do you?" Kankuro asked. They got to the open part of the hallway just in time for Cordi and Matsuri to see Gaara shake his head to his brother. They both looked down as they reached the top of the stair, then saw Matsuri. "What is she doing here?" Kankuro growled. Both men were glaring at the woman who toyed with their hearts, making Matsuri look down at the ground in shame.

"Come on, we gotta' talk," Cordi growled in a bored tone. Gaara and Kankuro could tell that something was going on that Cordi was not happy about. So they walked down the stairs and into the living room, grabbing a seat on the couch. Gaara frowned at the couple articles of Cordi and him lying on the coffee table, with a note saying, "Do you mind explaining this to me? Because, honestly, I'm stumped." But he chose to ignore it and take on the problem at hand. Matsuri just walked in, escorted by Cordi, who then took the chair, making Matsuri stand in front of the Subaku brothers.

"What's this all about?" Kankuro asked, really wanting this over with. Gaara just stayed silent and scowled.

"Well, go ahead. Tell them," Cordi instructed Matsuri, looking at her like a cat would a mouse.

Matsuri looked at the pained men, knowing it was all her fault, and feeling really guilty about it. "I, I don't know…" Matsuri started.

"Well, then, let me," Cordi smiled, obviously passive aggressively, which was always an expression that scared any one of the Subakus. "Matsuri is pregnant. And I'm betting she doesn't know which one is the father. I know I wouldn't if I was doing you two at the same time," Cordi replied to the Subaku men, who just gawked at her.

"H-how did you know?" Matsuri asked, eyes wide.

"Oh, please. It's only as obvious as Gaara's scar. You're lactating," Cordi pointed. "Only pregnant women do that, especially when they're stressed." Matsuri looked down ashamed again. Gaara and Kankuro stared wide-eyed at Cordi and then at Matsuri, confirming what Cordi had said. Matsuri did have two wet spots on her shirt where her nipples would be. One of them was going to be a father, and neither of them could believe it. "How old are you again?" Cordi asked, a little confused.

"Sixteen," Matsuri muttered.

Cordi's eyes went wide. "Damn," she gasped. Then she turned to the boys and said, "Where I come from, you two would be skewered for statutory rape." They looked at her confused, then back to Matsuri, whose eyes were down cast.

"Look, I know what I did was wrong, but I have my reasons. Please just let me explain," Matsuri stated, looking back up the men whom she had already hurt so much.

Kankuro's eyebrow shot up. Gaara's lips pursed into a thin line, while he narrowed his eyes at his old student. "Oh, this should be good," Cordi laughed sarcastically. "Did you hear that guys? She has a reason for breaking your hearts." Matsuri frowned at Cordi, but Kankuro and Gaara allowed her bullying to go on.

"Look, when I started dating Kankuro, my aunt found out and told me that I had to break up with him and date Gaara instead, just because she could demand a bigger dowry from him because he's the Kazekage," Matsuri started. Cordi could tell this little tidbit of information ticked Gaara off to no end, even though his face remained emotionless. Cordi licked her lips nervously. "She also said that if I didn't, she was going to kick me out. I had nowhere to go, and I couldn't even think of dumping Kankuro because I actually loved him," Cordi could see Gaara's chest flutter, showing his heart was re-breaking, as he struggled to hold his emotionless mask up. He blinked several times, pushing back tears. "At first I thought I could just pretend I was dating you, like just tell her that we were dating, but not actually go through with it. But she got really nosy, checking my diary, my receipts, even talking to your guards at the Kazekage building. It became inevitable for me to have to date you. So I told Kankuro that our relationship had to be a secret because my aunt didn't approve of him, and I had known he hadn't told you and Temari that because I had asked him not to until I was ready. I wasn't sure if you or Temari would originally approve of our relationship. When I went home that night, I told my aunt I had broken up with Kankuro. And a couple weeks later, I started dating Gaara. And Kankuro, every time something happened between us, it was only you I saw. That I swear." Gaara's eyes shut again, being clenched shut for five seconds, his jaw quivering. Cordi felt her heart breaking for Gaara, because his heart had nothing left to break and she could feel that through her empathic imagination. All she had to do was see someone in pain, and she felt it too.

"I wasn't going to tell you guys about the baby until I knew who the father is, and I was going to break up with the other one no matter what. I was going to get the paternity test, until Cordi came over and punched me in the face, making me realize you both knew about both my relationships. So, I decided to see if I could talk to you both at Kankuro's party, and set a date on when we could go to the clinic. But then that happened," Matsuri stated pointing at the article. "And with the hormones and the nerves, I lost it and ran. And I told you how nosy my aunt was. My aunt was taking out the trash today, and after that, she told me she noticed the pregnancy tests in my bathroom trashcan. I had hidden them for when I was going to tell you and didn't toss them out until after the party incident. So now that I'm considered 'spoiled goods,' and she can't demand a dowry anymore, she kicked me out. And now I have nowhere to go," Matsuri finished, looking down at her feet.

It was silent for a little while. "You guys still have dowries in this world?" Cordi asked, obviously disgusted. Matsuri nodded solemnly.

Kankuro was obviously still processing the information, his face in a perplexed frown. It didn't take too much for Gaara to understand. He quickly stood up, inhaling a lot of air. His entire body was shaking, even his lips were quivering, as was his jaw. His nostrils were twitching, and he blinked slowly several times. His fists were clenched at his sides, shaking. Suddenly, he looked down and said quickly, "If you'll please excuse me." With that, he made a hasty exit.

Cordi felt a sudden urge to follow him, and she walked out of the living room, not even caring to excuse herself, following Gaara to the indoor garden, which was set underneath the balcony. He sat on a stone bench in front of the rose bushes and in between the lilies, his head in his hands, and his back shuddering with sobs. His breathing was ragged, and his hands gripped his hair tighter, nearly pulling out the wine red strands. Cordi sat next to him, putting her arm around his shoulders, rubbing his back. He looked up, quickly trying to stop the never ending waterfall of tears. He'd dry his face, but more came out. His light aqua eyes red and puffy, and his eyeliner painting his cheeks black.

"I-I'm s-sorry," he hiccoughed, having no control over his breathing. "I'm n-not usually this e-emoti-tional about st-stuff."

He was going to continue, but Cordi just said, "Sh," putting a finger to his lips to silence him. He looked at her, so broken all over again. "Just cry it out. Just go ahead and cry." She could feel his back shudder again as his eyes closed and fresh tears flowed down his cheeks. "Come here," Cordi instructed, pulling him over to lean on her shoulder. She pulled her other arm around his body, rubbing his back again. He had his eyes rested in the crook of her shoulder, tears flowing freely from his eyes to her shirt. He brought his arms weakly around her, but then tightened his grip, and let the dams break. She brought one hand up to his head to stroke his hair to calm him. No matter how good crying could be for the soul, ragged breathing like that, making the crier hyperventilate, was never good. Her other hand rubbed his back, feeling his shuddering lungs with every sob … with every breath. His hands gripped her shirt tighter as she kept running her hand through his hair.

It was a good thirty minutes before he calmed down and stopped crying. His fists unclenched, releasing Cordi's shirt. He pulled away from her shoulder, noticing her white dyed with black tears tank top. "I'm so sorry about that," Gaara motioned.

"It's alright. I offered you my shoulder," Cordi reminded, patting his shoulder. He nodded slowly, then looked to the door.

Kankuro had been standing there, waiting for a chance to talk with Gaara. Gaara nodded him over, wiping his eyes and making himself a little more presentable. Cordi stood up so Kankuro could sit down next to Gaara, but she stood right in front of them. "Gaara, I know you aren't going to like this, but the one of us who is the father should marry her. I've thought through several possibilities, and that's the best one I could come up with. We can't just send her away because she is carrying a Subaku child. I can't fathom sending both of them out to fend for themselves, especially an innocent child." Gaara was nodding through Kankuro's explanation.

"I agree," Gaara stated. Kankuro nodded solemnly.

"We should get the paternity test done today," Kankuro added. "I don't know about you, but I would like to know which one of us is the father." Gaara nodded in agreement with that. Kankuro nodded again awkwardly, then got up, helping Gaara up in the process. "Well, let's go."

* * *

They had been waiting in the doctor's office for almost an hour. They had already gotten the main part of the test done, which was drawing blood. That was fun, considering it was nearly impossible for Gaara to give blood because the sand got in the way of the needle every single time. The first three times, the doctor just scowled at the intruding sand.

"Isn't there another way we can do the test?" Gaara asked, glaring at the needle in the doctor's hands.

"Sorry Gaara. The only other one is the DNA test, and since you and Kankuro are brothers, it would be too close to tell. Blood is the only one that can eliminate even between brothers," Cordi explained.

"And you know this how?" Kankuro asked, an eyebrow lifted at Cordi's relaxed pose. Matsuri also looked curious, not quite understanding how Cordi knew this either.

"I wanted to be a Nurse when I got out of college. So I took all the medical classes I could in high school. Biology, Genetics, Anatomy, you name it. Blood type is the only thing that can really differentiate between close family members. For example, I have O positive blood, but my sister is A negative, but my brother is O negative… he might be A positive, but I can't remember. The three of us have completely different blood types though, carrying completely different proteins for our bodies to function. It's a very common test in my world, because if there is a possibility of fatherhood, it will eliminate the ones who are not the father the fastest, even with brothers," Cordi explained in a completely bored tone.

"Well, how does it do that?" Gaara asked, slightly confused by her explanation.

"Let's say you have AB negative blood. Kankuro has O negative blood. And to make everything simple, Matsuri has O positive blood. If the baby's blood type is O, then it's Kankuro's. If it's A or B, then it's yours," Cordi explained, still bored, leaning her head back against the cabinets above the counter she was leaning against.

"This isn't working," the doctor sighed, frustrated with the sand's constant interference.

Gaara was about to mutter his apologies when Cordi interrupted him by asking, "Gaara why don't you try biting down as hard as you can on your thumb?" He gave her a questioning look, confused at her suggestion. "I don't think your sand will injure you to keep you from injuring yourself. It would be an oxymoron if it did," Cordi stated, "And, you'd still be bleeding, which is what we need for the test." Gaara grimaced, then nodded, showing that he understood her reasoning. He pulled his thumb up to his mouth, and bit into the meaty part of his thumb hard. He had to bite a little harder until his teeth were actually able to puncture the skin. Once it did though, he pulled his thumb away and held it to the doctor. The doctor quickly put an empty vile under the Kazekage's thumb, grabbing and putting pressure on his thumb to cause more droplets of blood fill the jar.

Once the doctor got his blood, he nodded over to the sink in the corner and said, "Why don't you go ahead and wash that off. I'll go start the test." With that, the doctor scurried out the door with the four viles of blood he collected.

Gaara stood up to wash his thumb, hissing a little as the soap hit his tooth imprint. When he had finished drying off his hands, he noticed Cordi was holding a band-aid up to him. "Thanks," he grumbled, taking the band-aid out of her outstretched hand. He then realized how hard it was to put a band-aid on with only one thumb.

"You're hopeless," Cordi mumbled, snatching the band-aid away from him and putting it on his thumb herself. Then she turned back around to her previous position, earning a small perplexed frown from Gaara.

"Why are you here again?" Matsuri asked, a little uncomfortable with Cordi's glare.

"All three of you asked me to come for emotional support," Cordi explained, still bored. "Because I'm the only one who is neutral on the matter."

_Liar_ Aleera scoffed. Cordi mentally frowned at her dragon. She knew her being neutral was lying through her teeth, considering she really liked the Kazekage. But they need someone to be strong, and Cordi felt that responsibility was hers. _This is probably the last time you and Gaara have a chance. I thought I told you he was a keeper._

_Gaara and I never had a chance_ Cordi corrected. _I think that he just wants to be friends. And I guess I'll be just fine with just being friends…_

_You will so not be just fine_ Aleera laughed. _Come on, Cordi. This guy has you so conflicted, you don't even know what you want anymore! You need to wake up and get a grip on your feelings before it's too late!_

Cordi set her jaw and scowled. _Aleera, do us a favor, and but out._

_Fine_ Aleera growled. _Just know, when it's too late, I'll be the one saying I told you so._

Cordi sighed as she felt Aleera's mind receding from hers. She felt her heart lower and suddenly get heavy. She shouldn't have talked to Aleera like that. "I need to get some water," Cordi sighed, then walked out of the room, and down to the water fountains next to the bathrooms. She calmly closed her eyes, then punched the wall, angry with everything going on. It was always the same crap going on with her. In any relationship, nothing ever seemed to go right. The guys she was always crushing on, the one main thing in common with them was that they always liked someone else. Why should Gaara be any different? She felt a tear roll down her cheek. Not wanting anyone to see, she quickly wiped it away. She shoved her feelings back down and placed the bored mask on.

"You know, you always are telling me it's good to cry," she heard a raspy, dark, and velvety voice say behind her. She quickly turned around to see the redhead who had been setting her heart a flutter for several weeks now. "Why aren't you listening to your own advice?" Gaara asked, with a wise voice beyond his years.

Cordi took a deep breath, her lungs shuddering a little. "Because what I'm crying about is petty," Cordi answered, sniffling. He gave her a skeptical look and took a step forward.

He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, then said, "Nothing is too petty if you're crying over it. You rarely cry." She nodded, knowing what he said to be true. "You want to tell me?" he offered.

Oh, how she wanted to tell him. Oh, how she wanted to hug him, and kiss him, and chase all of his worries away. She wanted to tell him how much she wanted to be more than just the understanding friend. She wanted to be more than just the shoulder to lean on. But she couldn't tell him. It would be too inappropriate. Especially now. "No," Cordi answered. He gave her a concerned look. "This – This I want to bottle." With that she walked further down the hall and out the doors to the lobby area, leaving Gaara standing there alone in the hallway. She didn't notice the look of pain on his face as she denied him the offer she had given him so many times before. She didn't see the sadness in his eyes as he watched her walk down the hallway away from him, leaving him alone. He was alone – again.

* * *

"You called for me?" Lynne asked, walking into the Hokage's office. She was a little timid, considering she knew she was being sent on her first big mission.

"Yes," Tsunade smiled. "This is Sasuke Uchiha. He will be joining you on this two-man mission."

Lynne's eyes went wide. She turned to see the man Tsunade was pointing at. Indeed it was Sasuke, but he looked different from how she imagined him to look at this age. He wore black carpenter shorts, a white form-fitting tank top with a small Uchiha symbol on the back. His head-band was tied to a belt loop on his shorts. On his black leather belt around his shorts, held a sheath with his katana in it. He held a bored hand on his hip, leaning on one foot. Lynne had to admit, the pose was sexy. His hair was that blue-ish black and had that weird swoosh in the back. He had long bangs sprouting from his hair line.

He slowly looked over to Lynne, who almost had a heart attack. His dark gaze bored into her. He had eyes as black as the moonless night. He had the pale complexion of myths. It was hard for Lynne not to jump him right there. His mouth was set in an indifferent frown. Then she caught sight of a jagged scar over his left cheekbone. It was still pink, so it must have happened not too long ago, but it looked like it healed as much as it would. She would have to ask about it later, she figured.

Tearing her gaze away from the Konohan dream boy, she asked "May I bring Saryu along?"

"Only for transportation reasons. He will have to leave as soon as you reach there. I know the trouble you'll have to face though with him gone," Tsunade stated.

"No, it should be fine," Lynne smiled. Then she turned to Sasuke giving him a cheery grin. She had found her man.

"This is one of the girls from the other world?" Sasuke asked in a cool voice. Tsunade nodded. _She looks positively dull. What a loser. She can't be that special_ She heard Sasuke mutter in his mind.

Lynne's cheery face dropped to a scowl. "I'm more special than you think I am," Lynne growled, turning on her heel and leaving.

The last thing she could hear running through Sasuke's head was _Did I say that out loud?_

* * *

It was only a couple hours later that the doctor came back with the test results. Cordi had since calmed down and come back inside. The doctor walked over to the two brothers, who had been waiting patiently for the anxious news. The doctor looked at them evenly, then with an open hand, he grasped Kankuro's hand and said, "Congratulations." Cordi instantly felt relieved.

Kankuro's and Gaara's eyes were wide. "I-I'm going to be a father?" Kankuro asked. The doctor smiled and nodded. Gaara's face fell slightly, then he recovered himself and turned to his brother.

"Congratulations," Gaara said, a small smile playing on his lips. He shook his brother's hand then walked out of the room, a confused look showing through as his back faced most of the group. Cordi followed him out, figuring Kankuro would probably want to talk with Matsuri in private. He was going to marry her now after all, at least that was the plan. Gaara sat on a bench outside, his hands clasped and arms resting on his knees.

"How you feeling?" Cordi asked.

"Why should I tell you? You don't trust me enough to tell me anything," Gaara muttered, frowning at himself, avoiding her face at all costs. Suddenly, he felt like he was acting like a sour puss.

"Look, I was upset because Aleera and I got in a small fight over something that's been bothering me for awhile," Cordi explained. He looked at her hopefully again, wishing she would open up a little to him. "But, it's boring, and you wouldn't care about it." He looked down again, biting his lip, wondering if he should tell her his conflicting feelings.

Gaara sighed, deciding to be the better person, and actually sharing his thoughts a little. "I guess I'm confused because," Gaara started, "well, I've been prepping myself for several hours now in case I was the father. Before today, I never really thought about being a parent. But now that I've been thinking about it non-stop for five or six hours, I don't think it would be that bad. I think I'd actually enjoy being a father. So, I psyched myself up in case I was going to be a father, why shouldn't I be happy if I have a child on the way? And then, it just flips." Cordi nodded, understanding where he was coming from. "I guess I just have to get my bearings. It just confused me," he added, rubbing his hands on his knees.

"Well, you'll get another chance," Cordi offered. "I'm sure there are tons of girls who would date you."

"You aren't talking about the fan girls, are you?" Gaara asked, "Because they scare the shit out of me."

"Ha ha," Cordi laughed, "no, I wasn't talking about them. But they probably would be very willing to date you." Then suddenly, both of them imagined Gaara on a date with a fan girl, and both shivered. "I'm sure a girl less – creepy will come a long and give you a chance," Cordi then offered. Gaara nodded, smiling a little, but barely holding back a chuckle.

* * *

Early the next morning, Sasuke stood at the gates of Konoha, waiting for Lynne to arrive. He was bored, obviously. He was always bored. Not much ever piqued his interest. The only thing that plagued his mind now was how much Lynne had heard from his mind. Tsunade had told him after Lynne left that Lynne could read minds, and that was one of many special powers she had. Sasuke although had no informants on who Saryu was. All he could figure was that it was a horse or something like it that she could travel on, because Tsunade also mentioned that they weren't fast, like most ninjas.

A roar was heard over the houses of Konoha, making Sasuke look up. Rising over the houses, he saw a white, long weasel shaped lizard beast flying over towards his direction. It had two brown antlers, a goatie, and whiskers adorning his face. He gained a shocked expression as it landed, being the size of the tower they had to run to in the Chuunin exams, and seeing Lynne riding on his shoulder blades.

"Need a lift?" Lynne asked smartly to Sasuke, who could only gape at the huge dragon standing in front of him, its scales gleaming in the early morning sun.

**AN:** Sorry for those who read this chapter earlier without the finishing touches. Like to Me and Gaara 4ever, I forgot to add my reply to your review, and I felt so terrible that I actually published it without that and without the dividers and stuff. Really sorry about that. I had to run and print of an English paper, (I know! "ALREADY!?" Yet again, college.) And then, I met some people and we got talking about random stuff like music and yeah. I would have done this sooner if I realized, and now I just feel retarded... Anyway, please remember to review! ... Now I'm really hungry... I think I need a midnight snack...


	19. Chapter 18

**AN:** 1200+ views in such a short time? I feel so loved! I feel like you all have given me an award! Thanks so much. I've kept my promise! … Wow so many reviews to reply to… That's a good problem.

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, Here it is! I'm magical .

And to Thomas Drovin, Yes he is. And Sasuke needs to watch out for a lot of things… especially around an author who doesn't think much of him.

And to GrimSpeck18, Now he makes his grand entrance!!!

And to Repentless Wind, yet again, part two, you're going to be thrown for a loop!

And to dantes freezer, nice name by the way… it's a little bit of an oxymoron right? Glad you're reading it, and there wasn't much reason for the notes except to show that Rox, Ronni, Fred, and Lynne know what's going on in Suna. And the dragons don't live together. Since Cordi is in Suna, so is Aleera. Then everyone else is in Konoha.

And to Gaara's1Girl, Actually, in the comics and TV series, they state that Gaara wears eyeliner, which is probably why when we see Gaara several months after Shukaku has gone, he still has dark rings around his eyes. And two, I read somewhere a while ago that when pregnant women are stressed, they have a tendency to lactate. That was what I was going on.

Special Thanks to dantes freezer and Kalashnikov07 for adding my story to your faves or to your alerts!

ALSO!!! I forgot to mention, today is my character Roxanne's birthday, ... or at least the girl who I based off Roxanne. It's her birthday! So as my birthday present to her, I want to send some of my readers over to her, because she doesn't get as many as I do, but she's better at writing than I am. If you'd rather not, give her a little shout out in my reviews if you prefer. Her name is princessSiyaka. Now that that's over, let's continue, and please review!!! ^.^

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill.

**Chapter Eighteen: Lynne's First Official Mission**

After much persuasion, Sasuke did get on Saryu's back. He was also nervous by this, which made Saryu laugh (I'm referring back to Gaara, in chapter nine. I know, just think back. Sometimes it's hard for me to remember too). Saryu snaked through the skies, holding the silent couple on his back.

"Where are we heading again?" Lynne asked.

"The ocean below the Fire Country. Fisher men have been going missing for a couple weeks, and the local village would like to know why they are disappearing so they can fish more peacefully," Sasuke droned, gaining more confidence as he got used to Saryu's flying. "Since fish is their main crop down there, the economic issues were what caught our eye first."

"It wasn't the amount of fishermen turning up missing?" Lynne asked, completely nonplussed by his cold and uncaring demeanor. Sasuke didn't say anything back to her. "Who hired us?" Lynne asked.

"His name is Sulu Yamagato. He's the local Feudal Lord and Head Fisherman," Sasuke replied, still bored. Lynne pursed her lips and nodded, knowing she probably wasn't going to get much more information out of him.

Soon they landed and talked to the locals about what was happening. She thanked whoever was in power over her life that she no longer needed Saryu around to maintain the listening into people's thoughts, otherwise, she would have had a migraine.

"It's always around the early morning, you know, four to six o' clock," one of the local fisherman stated. Lynne was having a hard time imagining even getting up before ten, let alone before seven. She imagined herself waking up at three o'clock in the morning to go to work, all she could imagine herself as was a zombie. Her eyes would be half-lidded with drowsiness, drool would be coming out of her wide open mouth, and her legs would be dragging along the ground, barely able to keep her up and stable. She laughed a little at the image playing in her head of herself, then refocused at the task at hand.

"Well, if it's always in between those hours, why do you guys still fish during them?" Lynne asked, as if it were the smart and logical.

"Because that's the best time to fish," the fisherman stated, as if Lynne were stupid. "During the day, all the fish can see the nets, so we wouldn't catch as many."

Sasuke showed a flash of intrigue, then replaced it just as quickly with his usual unemotional mask. "Come, Lynne. We've got enough information for today," Sasuke stated. Lynne nodded and followed him as he led her to their hotel. As soon as they chose rooms and set up the bed rolls, Sasuke joined Lynne in her room and they both started formulating plans.

* * *

Rox soon received a reply from Cordi about the tabloids. She explained that it was a ruse to get Matsuri to leave the bar. She also stated that she and Gaara weren't dating. She reassured Rox several times in the letter that she and Gaara were just friends, nothing more. She also added the newest Matsuri deal. Rox couldn't believe Matsuri had gotten pregnant. It made Rox feel kind of sad for her, and then she remembered what she did to Gaara and Kankuro, then rethought her feelings.

"Hey, Rox open up," she heard Shikamaru call from the apartment hallway as he banged against the door. She jumped off her seat in the sitting area and opened the door quickly to see the lazy as always Shikamaru Nara.

"What's up?" Rox asked, smiling at her teacher/good friend.

He grimaced a little, making Rox confused. "I was just invited to a wedding, and I've been asked to bring a date. I was wondering if you would go with me," Shikamaru stated, still slightly bored.

Rox blinked. Shikamaru was asking her to be his date… to a wedding? "Whose wedding?" Rox asked.

"I believe the invitation said Kankuro and Matsuri," Shikamaru stated, looking up trying to remember exactly, "which I honestly don't get. Wasn't she cheating on him with Gaara?"

"Ah, yes she was," Rox smiled evilly. "Thankfully Cordi just gave me the inside scoop on that. Matsuri turned out to be pregnant. Kankuro is the father." Shikamaru's face dropped to surprised confusion. "It's a shot-gun wedding."

This made Shikamaru laugh a little, not the information but the excitement on her face. "So, you want to join me?" he asked again.

"Yeah," Rox replied. "It's been a while since I've seen Cordi," she added quietly, and definitely wishing to remedy that.

* * *

"No, we will not use that plan," Lynne stated, crossing her arms and pointing her nose in the air.

"Why not?" Sasuke growled.

"Because I will not wake up at three o'clock in the morning just to be kidnapped and God knows what else," Lynne replied snootily. His idea was beyond suicide. It was basically handing themselves over, if Lynne heard him correctly. Also, at three she would look like an extra from Dawn of the Dead. It wasn't really worth it. She could formulate a better plan if she was given another day.

Sasuke just glared at Lynne. She annoyed him almost as much as Naruto, except she was pickier than he was. Sometimes he really wanted the annoying blond with him on this mission. But always as soon as he thought that, he recanted it, thinking of all the stunts Naruto would pull. "Fine," he growled, getting up and leaving.

Lynne scowled at him, then threw her pillow at the door as he shut it. She then got up to grab her pillow, and sat back down on her bed roll, thinking of a new plan.

* * *

When Lynne woke the next morning, she had a new plan that was fool-proof. Then again, she didn't want to say that, because a fool always came and made it plan+fool=haywire, or in other words, a complete and utter failure. She waited at breakfast for Sasuke so she could tell him her new plan. She waited for almost an hour. Then she decided to go to his room and check on him. Lo and behold, Sasuke had to be the fool that made her fool-proof plan go haywire. He had left, using his own plan by himself. "What an idiot," Lynne mumbled to herself. Her plan was officially in the toilet.

She went back to breakfast and devised a new plan, and so far, she'd have to break her promise to Lady Tsunade and call Saryu back. She sighed, hating the fact that she was going to have to go against her word. She waited a little longer for him, but he didn't come back. After twelve hours of waiting, Lynn figured she'd have to stay up till the wee hours in the morning just to fix her little issue and find Sasuke, because he was obviously captured, or somewhere along those lines. She asked a local boating shop to lend her a dingy for the night. Around midnight, Saryu arrived, and she explained her new plan to him.

"Don't make yourself known until I give the signal, ok?" Lynne asked. Saryu nodded silently, then dove into the ocean, swimming underneath the surface to keep the water calm. She was alone again, and bored out of her mind within a minute. She quickly pulled out a small book she had packed for bed-side reading, but it was the only thing she had that would keep her awake in this instance.

This was the tenth time she was reading Abarat, so obviously, she liked it. Whenever she read it, she was always engrossed in the stuff that happened to the poor main character. She jumped a little when she heard her watch beeping, forgetting that she had set the timer for 3:30. She quickly shut her book, placing it back in her pouch, and then turned off her watch. It was now time to set sail into the dark watery night. She sighed as she pushed the boat out into the water, and then hopped in. She pulled out the oars and gently placed them into the water, starting her adventure into the great unknown – well the great unknown for her. She was pretty sure a lot people who had grown up in the ninja world had sailed these waters and they weren't really considered uncharted territory. She had gone out pretty far when she decided to stop. If she looked back at this point, the beach would be a thin line, illuminated by the small sliver of moon reflecting on the earth.

In her peripheral she saw some movement, and already spooked enough by being out in the middle of the ocean at such an hour, she became rather scared. She had known watching _**Jaws**_ would someday come back to haunt her. When she turned that direction, she confirmed that she had most definitely seen a fin. Her eyes went wide, and her heart pounded in her chest. All she could think was _This is the end of me_. As soon as the fin reached her boat, she shut her eyes in terror. This was probably the reason why all the fishermen had been missing. A great white had eaten all of them. A jet of water brought her out of her reverie. Quickly she wiped her face. _Since when do sharks spit?_ she asked herself. When she looked down, she saw the head of a bottle-nose dolphin smiling up at her, cackling a little. She sighed in relief. She put her hand out of the boat and placed it on its head. Just then two more popped up, cackling in delight. She smiled as more and more came, swimming and jumping around the dingy joyfully. Soon there were about twenty-five just chilling with her in the ocean. She was hoping that they'd stay, knowing the animal rule that if dolphins were around, sharks would steer clear. And she was really hoping she wasn't going to see a shark tonight.

Just as the thought came to her mind, the dolphins went back underwater and swam away. "No! Come back!" she called to them, but like they'd listen. She felt a sudden sense of foreboding as she sunk back into herself. Just then, a huge shadow cast itself over her dingy, surrounding her little boat in darkness. She looked back to see the shadow of a ship, a really large ship. She saw ropes being tossed down, and could only look back confused. Then, when they hit her boat, she noticed they had hooks in them. Her eyes became wide as her boat lost contact with the water beneath her. She had to think of a new plan now, and fast. She only had a minute or so to do so. Otherwise, she was going to be stuck in the same situation as Sasuke, and she did not want to be stuck.

She nearly squealed in excitement as she saw her boat coming close to a canon portal. She quickly and quietly made a shadow clone just before the boat came to the portal. She ordered her clone to dive in the water as she concealed herself in the shadow the ship cast on her dingy. Whoever was onboard the ship saw her clone jump off and dive into the water oh so gracefully yelled out, "STOP! SHE DOVE! CHECK THE WATER!" Waiting to celebrate her sly maneuver, she hoisted herself into the portal as quietly as possible, happy to see that everyone was on deck, probably because she had a small dingy that was about as worthless in warfare as its name sounded. She looked around, noticing the ship looked like a scene ripped out of _**Pirates of the Caribbean**_. She almost laughed, until she remembered that the people on deck didn't know she was onboard. She sneaked over to the stairs, hiding behind them as she searched through each of the crew member's minds. Some thoughts she had issues not to laugh at and other thoughts she thought were just plain wrong, which took a lot for her. Almost nothing was wrong to her, but some of their thoughts were unbelievable. She continued to search until she found what she was looking for. All the prisoners were being held in the brig at the bottom of the ship beyond the rum cellar.

As quietly as she could, she ran down the five flights of stairs, trying her hardest not to trip or make any noises. She was naturally clumsy, so it was hard. Soon enough, she reached the bottom floor which looked like a library of alcoholic beverages, most likely all rum. She sprinted down the aisle until she reached a small door. She tried to turn the knob, but it was locked. _Nothing can ever be easy, can it?_ she asked herself. She whirled around, looking for keys, hoping that they were hanging on a nail or something on the wall. That was when she noticed the man in the corner. She froze, thinking she was busted. The she heard a snore come from his corner, and she narrowed her eyes at him. She then noticed in the man's hand lazily hung an empty rum bottle. She rolled her eyes, and walked over to him. She poked him, nothing. She sighed in relief that the drunk guard was passed out, probably for a while. Suddenly, something caught her eye. In the guard's other hand held the keys. Lynne grinned with delight at her small triumph. Now she just had to get them. She gently removed the keys from the guard's hand, making sure not to make his body move in any way that he would wake up.

She held the keys victoriously over her head, then she creeped back over to the door, unlocking it as silently as she could. The door creaked open, but it's rusty hinges were hidden by the loud shudder from the ship. She frowned as she saw more stairs, this time going up at least. She snuck up the stairs and smiled as she came into view of the jail cells. Sasuke had his own little cell, where he sat quietly in a bored stance. All of the fishermen though were in another cell, which looked rather crowded. They started to chatter about freedom when they saw her. "Sh!" she hissed, moving a finger to her lips. That was when Sasuke looked over at her, and she could see him inwardly groan. She grinned happy she had her small victory over the Uchiha. She walked over to his cell and tried keys. When she got the cell door unlocked, she swung it open slowly so it didn't make any noise. Sasuke walked out, holding his oh-so-bored poise. She turned to the fishermen, knowing Sasuke wouldn't even say a thank you. Come on, she knew Sasuke like the back of her hand. Nothing he could do would surprise her. "Sasuke, other than the obvious, is there any information I should know?" Lynne asked.

He frowned then said, "The captain was hired, I don't know by who though," without even turning to face her. She nodded, glad he even shared that much information with her. Then, she turned her attention to the other cell.

The fishermen sounded like a cacophonous choir of whispers, thanking her for helping them out. "Sh," she hissed again. "Now, when I unlock this door, get out in an orderly fashion. No pushing or shoving, otherwise you'll blow our cover, and we'll all get stuck here." The fishermen nodded their heads in understanding. She tried keys again, and finally opened the door to the fishermen's freedom. Surprisingly, they were really quiet about it. There were no fools trying to push ahead of the crowd like in movies. You know, the guys that make you mad that they screwed everything up for the main characters because they couldn't wait their turn? None of the men in the cell were like that. Once everyone was free, she directed them to follow her as quietly as possible. Then her OCD kicked in and she shut and locked the cell doors, still rather quietly. Sasuke rolled his eyes at this, but followed her out nonetheless.

Once they were all down the stairs, she shut and locked that door to. She then walked over to the drunk guard and placed the keys gingerly in his hands. She had them follow her quietly back up to the deck, telling the fishermen to stay on the floor beneath the deck, so it would be easier to protect them. She ushered Sasuke up on deck where the pirates hustled around, trying to search desperately for her. She couldn't help but smirk at their stupidity.

"They aren't incredibly smart, are they?" Lynne snickered.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, still bored.

"YOU!" they heard someone yell. Lynne and Sasuke turned to the loud-mouth to see a man pointing an accusing finger at them with eyes wide like a crazy person's. The rest of the pirate crew turned to the two ninjas, drawing swords out of their sheaths as the approached the shinobi. They were surrounded.

_Now!_ she ordered Saryu. Within five seconds, the boat hit something, making it shudder and moan.

"What the Hell was that?" Lynne heard some pirates ask.

"I don't know. I was hoping you'd tell me," she heard the other pirates reply back.

"It's because there's a woman onboard," she heard one pirate mutter. She couldn't help but laugh at the remark. It was true, but they didn't know that. He had just said that because of the silly superstition.

"Where is your captain?" Sasuke asked in a demanding tone.

"Why should we tell you?" another pirate asked, somewhere in the middle of the crowd.

Suddenly Sasuke appeared right in front of him. Lynne couldn't even see him move, which honestly made her heartbeat thump with excitement, like any other fan-girl. "Because if you don't, I'll kill you," Sasuke warned, holding a shuriken up to the pirate's throat. The pirate's face became almost as white as a sheet.

The threat was unnecessary, because as soon as the question was asked, everyone had thought of exactly where the captain was holding up at the moment. The captain was currently resting in his quarters, to which the doors were right behind the staircase they stood in front of. But, Lynne very much appreciated Sasuke's – enthusiasm should she call it? – about the matter.

"I'm not telling you anything," the pirate spat, spittle flying onto Sasuke's face. Sasuke frowned, but slid the shuriken neatly across the pirates neck, slicing his jugular and wind pipe. Bright crimson arterial blood spurt out of his neck as he fell to the ground with a small thud, thoroughly grossing Lynne out.

"Sasuke, that was really unnecessary," Lynne stated, her disgust showing on her green face, struggling with keeping her dinner in its place. He gave her a confused look, as if to ask her why gaining the information they needed was unnecessary. "They all told me the answer when you asked the question. It's involuntary, but most people think about what actually happened right before coming up with a lie on the spot," Lynne explained, nodding her head a little. Sasuke pursed his lips, not liking being reminded about the fact that Lynne could read minds, and he just looked like a total loser for forgetting it.

Just then, Saryu's head popped up over the railing of the ship, brows raised. "What'd I miss?" he asked. Lynne laughed a little at him.

"I'll be right back," Lynne smiled, waving to her teammate and dragon. With that, she ran to the Captain's Quarters' door and walked in. The captain was looking over some paperwork at his dining table. She smiled and sat across from him, staring at him until he could feel her presence, which took longer than she expected.

When he finally looked up, he looked confused. She could hear himself mentally asking how come she wasn't stopped and put in the brig by the guards. "I'm too smart for them," Lynne smiled, receiving a more confused stare from the captain. "But enough about me. I have a question for you." With this, she stood slowly, leaning over the table to get her face close to his. "Who hired you?"

_Sulu Yamagato_ she heard him think, but it was then replaced with his actual voice. "I wasn't hired."

She smiled at him. "Aw, there's no need to lie. You didn't have to say anything and I would have gotten my answer whether you wanted me to have it or not," she stated in a belittling tone. And she left the captain standing there, gawking at her completely dumbfounded, which made her grin even more.

When she opened the door wide, she saw that Sasuke had gotten all of the crew tied securely to the three masts, and Saryu was standing guard. That was when she realized that not a lot of prisoners would misbehave if a dragon was standing guard. The thought brought a small smile to her face.

She didn't notice the captain trudge his way past her to gawk at his crew. "How?" was all he could manage.

Just then, Sasuke threw a rope down to Lynne. She picked it up, eyeing the woven tweed with an eyebrow raised. "Tie him up," Sasuke ordered. Lynne nodded, and proceeded to tie up the captain with the rope, starting with the wrists, then around his arms and torso. There was a second thing of rope in the coil that Sasuke had tossed down to her, so she used the second piece to tie around his ankles, then knotting them together at his wrists. Now that the captain was immobile, she walked up to the steering area of the deck where Sasuke stood.

"Did you catch who hired him?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah," Lynne replied. "The name Sulu Yamagato ring any bells?"

"Damn it," Sasuke hissed. "We've been douped." Lynne pursed her lips and nodded. She realized she was doing that a lot lately, then she figured because she was around Sasuke.

"And now?" she asked him, figuring he probably wasn't going to give her an answer.

"And now we sail this ship back to shore," Sasuke growled._ And arrest that arrogant asshole._ she heard him think. She shifted her gaze to his face, intrigued that he actually answered her question, then turned back to face forward. It only took her less than a minute of quiet to yawn, showing that her lack of sleep had caught up to her. She excused herself, then walked down to the Captain's Quarters and borrowed the captain's bed for what remained of the night, which was about two or three hours. She was not going to be happy when she woke up the next morning.

* * *

Shikamaru knocked on Rox's door with his free hand while his other held a bag slung over his shoulder. They were supposed to be leaving that day for Suna for Kankuro's wedding. Tsunade had informed him that they weren't the only couple invited to go to Kankuro's wedding. There were actually two more joining them. But, Tsunade didn't really feel like telling him who was joining them on their weekend trip, so he figured they would find out once they got to the gates.

He was about to knock a second time when Rox opened the door. "I'm ready," she announced to no one in particular with a bag in one hand, and two others slung over her shoulder. Shikamaru couldn't suppress his eye roll. They were only going to be there for a day and a half, maybe two days, and she had to bring three bags. "What?" she asked innocently. He just walked away, letting her follow him. It was obvious she was having issues conjuring up a reason why he would roll his eyes at her.

"How troublesome," her mumbled to himself. Soon enough, they reached the front gates of Konoha, Gryffin waiting for them along with Nessie.

"So, Ronni's coming?" Rox asked, not really needing an answer. Gryffin and Nessie nodded anyway. "I'm guessing because Kiba and Kankuro are friends." Gryffin and Nessie nodded again.

"My question is, who's the last couple joining us?" Shikamaru asked.

"HEY!!!" they heard a familiar, yet obnoxious voice call out to them. Shikamaru and Rox turned to see Naruto himself with Hinata hand in hand. "Are you guys going to Kankuro's wedding, too?" Shikamaru and Rox nodded. "I don't think they gave us enough time to get over there," Naruto muttered. "It's three days travel isn't it?"

"Not on dragons," Rox replied. "It takes at most thirty minutes to an hour."

"But neither of us have dragons," Naruto replied, gesturing to Hinata and himself.

"Well, one of you could ride with us, and the other could ride with Kiba and Ronni," Rox offered.

"No, we don't want to impose," Hinata murmured.

"Look, we all have to get there by two o'clock today," Shikamaru stated. "We might as well let you ride along with us."

Just then, they heard the trees rustling, and they all turned to see Aleera skidding to a stop at the front gates. "Gaara and Cordi asked me to take Naruto and his date," she stated, offering a paw for the couple to climb up on. Naruto couldn't help but grin as he and Hinata climbed up onto Aleera's back.

Shikamaru and Rox did the same, climbing onto Gryffin's back. They didn't have to wait long as Kiba and Ronni came into view. Upon seeing everyone else waiting to take off, they quickly clambered up onto Nessie's back. After they got situated, Kiba and Ronni gave the thumbs up for take-off, and the dragons shot up into the sky, scaring Shikamaru, Kiba, Naruto, and Hinata a little bit.


	20. Chapter 19

**AN:** 1500+ views already? I feel so loved! Thanks so much. I've kept my promise! Alright! I have a warning for all of you. This chapter has a lemon! So if you're uncomfortable reading that, then you can skip it if you want. If you're fine with it … then go ahead. Just so you know! But then again, it's rated Mature for a reason!!! Otherwise, enjoy!

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, YAY! Hopefully you'll be able to read this chapter soon. ^.^ I hate having a broken laptop. It drives me nuts!

And to Thomas Drovin, Yeah … well, the friends are mostly seen after the wedding. ^.^ haha, sorry.

And to Repentless Wind, Yeah, sorry. I can't make everything obvious. Then not as many people would read it.

Special Thanks to Azura Soul Reaver and dsvjr10 for adding me and my story to your faves or to your alerts!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill.

**Chapter Nineteen: Kankuro's Wedding**

Sasuke and Lynne left the small fishing village in peace, but not after making sure the other fishermen knew who had hired the pirates to kidnap them in the first place was. Sasuke could only figure one thing for his reason. Head of the local Fisherman Council was being voted on in a month or so. Sulu, being head already, was going to run again and wanted to thin out the number of opponents, making it most likely for him to win. Although, now it was very likely that he would lose, considering all the fishermen that were kidnapped by the pirates hated his guts now. They obviously told their fishing buddies, who told their fishing buddies, and so on.

Anyway, when Sulu noticed the fishing stocks were dropping, due to his short-sighted plan. He figured the Hokage would notice in a little while, then send ninjas down to investigate, which would put him in the hot-spot for being considered guilty. So, he decided to nip it in the bud, and called them down himself, making him look innocent. Lynne and Sasuke could never actually prove it, because there was no signed documents or banking statements. Sulu had been smart in handling this with all cash.

For the most of the trip, they were silent. Saryu was focused on flying. Sasuke was brooding over something. Lynne was having one of her ADD moments, as one random question after another popped into her head. But one repeatedly popped up, and it was annoying her a little. "Sasuke?" Lynne asked.

"Hn?" Sasuke grunted.

"How on God's-Green-Earth did you get captured?" Lynne asked. "I mean, I figured you wanted to be on the ship, but please. You're a better ninja than to be captured like that."

Sasuke was silent for a little while, then he said, "I wasn't expecting them to be armed with chakra ropes."

Lynne ran through everything she knew from the Naruto world, at least weapons or props they used, but chakra rope wasn't among her list. "What's chakra rope?" Lynne asked.

Sasuke sighed before he explained what it was. "Chakra rope is a special kind of rope woven from strands of a plant called chi blades, which are only found in the Shadow Country. When someone is bound with chakra rope, their chakra stops flowing. Basically, I couldn't use any ninjutsu or genjutsu. I couldn't even use my sharingan. And when they put me in my cell, I found that the bars of the cell had been glazed over with the same plant, so it had a similar effect."

"Why weren't you expecting them to have them?" Lynne asked. The Sasuke she knew wouldn't not think of something without a very good reason.

"I'll state this yet again. Chi blades are only found in the Shadow Country. In fact, they are only found in one village in the Shadow Country. Since the key ingredient used to make them is so rare, they are extremely expensive. Because of their cost, it's rare that anyone ever uses them," Sasuke explained in a very bored tone. "I've been wondering how they actually were able to get it. They certainly weren't able to buy it."

"Well, they're pirates," Lynne stated as if it were obvious. "They probably pilfered it." Sasuke couldn't help but feel a little stupid that he hadn't come up with that solution sooner.

* * *

It didn't take long for the wedding guests from Konoha to arrive at the gates of Suna. When they landed, Cordi and Temari were standing there waiting. As they landed, Temari gazed at Shikamaru and Rox longingly, but swiftly hid it in a mask of smug content. "Long time no see," Cordi called up to her sister and childhood best friend.

"Right back at you," Rox laughed as she swung her legs over Gryffin's spine to hop down. He offered his paw so she didn't hurt herself landing disgracefully, which she was only happy to accept. As soon as she was down, they ran to each other and embraced the other in a hug. Ronni finally got down from Nessie and joined in the hug.

"We should get going," they heard Temari state, breaking up their little hugging session. They noticed Kiba, Shikamaru, Naruto, Hinata, and Temari were waiting for them with all the bags down and in hand.

Cordi nodded, turning to Aleera. "Thanks for leading them here. You can show them where you spend your time now." Aleera nodded, turning to Nessie and Gryffin, only then to shoot up into the sky, the other two dragons trailing behind them. The three girls turned to the rest of the group and joined them. They only had two hours to get ready before they had to be at Suna's Grand Hall.

* * *

Gaara sat on Kankuro's bed, waiting for the groom to finally get dressed. Kankuro was fretting about so much stuff, it was grating on Gaara's nerves. "What if everything goes wrong?" was Kankuro's favorite one to ask. Every time he asked it, Gaara wanted to ask him what more could go wrong. Matsuri had already cheated on him, the wedding was a sham because she was pregnant. Everything had already gone wrong, yet they were getting married.

Gaara glared at his brother, who was pacing around the room in his tuxedo pants and shirt. He wore shiny black shoes that clicked against the floor every step. "Would you hurry up?" Gaara growled. "We have to be at the Grand Hall in fifteen minutes, and you're too busy fretting about what may or may not happen. Remember, you're doing this for your unborn child." Gaara had issues saying that last bit of information without growling a little. But it did the trick in bringing Kankuro out of his train of thought.

He stopped pacing, looking at Gaara, who was obviously bored. "Sorry, you're right," Kankuro muttered. He quickly walked over to his dresser and fastened his cuff-links onto his sleeves. As he finished that, he snatched his tuxedo jacket, which was lying on the bed next to Gaara. He put it on and brushed off any dust it had on it and smoothed out its wrinkles. "I think I'm ready," Kankuro stated, looking to his brother who had been dressed in his tuxedo for about forty-five minutes now waiting for Kankuro. His arms were crossed and his eyes were narrowed as he stood up, nodding a little to his older brother. Gaara quickly walked out of the room, his own shoes clicking and his coat-tails billowing a little behind him, and Kankuro followed him out.

* * *

Fred sat at Ichiraku's, slowly eating ramen, and bored out of her mind. All of her friends had gone for some reason, and she was alone. Rox, Hinata, and her sister Ronni had gone to Suna for Kankuro's wedding. Lynne had yet to come back from her mission. She sighed out of boredom. "Is it possible to die of being this bored?" Fred asked no one in particular.

"Sorry, no," she heard the cook mutter. She dropped her head, pouting a little at the bowl of noodles and soup.

"Why so glum, Fred?"

The voice sounded like silver bells to Fred's ear. She looked up to see her ever vibrant best friend, Lynne. Fred jumped off her stool in excitement, leaping onto Lynne, who was caught off balance because of the sudden shift in weight. "You're back!" Fred squealed. "I'm not alone anymore!"

"Yeah," Lynne rasped awkwardly. "I'm back. Where are Rox and Ronni?"

Fred gently got off her friend, straightening her shirt and shorts. "They were invited to Kankuro's and Matsuri's wedding… well they were invited by Shikamaru and Kiba, who needed dates," she replied glumly. "Along with Naruto and Hinata," she then added with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Really?" Lynne asked, a little confused. "Why?"

"Oh, you haven't heard, right!" Fred smiled, a little ditzily. She then proceeded to recant the latest Matsuri fiasco, and what the Gaara/Cordi thing was really about.

* * *

Temari stood next to Matsuri during the wedding, not really paying attention to the ceremony. She knew it was a sham wedding anyway. She had another matter weighing heavy in her mind instead. Her glance turned away from the priest as he was giving the vows, to a couple sitting in the third row, Shikamaru and Rox.

Temari was having issues believing Shikamaru had actually gotten a date to the wedding. She shouldn't have been, but it was just a bit of a shock. Only four months ago, about a month before the girls arrived, Temari and Shikamaru had decided to end their three-year, long-distance relationship. Like so many other long-distance relationships, they had issues keeping it alive and being able to see each other. It was a mutual break-up. Both had realized that the strain of their relationship was not healthy for any party involved.

It was a shock to see that Shikamaru had moved on from their relationship. She hadn't completely gotten over him yet, but she knew she was going to get there eventually. But seeing him with someone else in what she felt was a short amount of time, had hurt her a little. Although, seeing Rox by his side looked kind of right, and she couldn't help but admire that. She had to admit, they were a cute couple.

"Temari," Matsuri hissed, snapping the eldest Subaku out of her strange reverie. "The bouquet," she hissed, signaling what she wanted with her eyes. It was only then that Temari noticed that the only thing holding the wedding from being over now was Matsuri and Kankuro walking down the aisle, and Temari was holding them up.

"Sorry," she muttered, giving Matsuri the bouquet, and bowing a little. With that, the newlyweds walked down the aisle arm in arm, acting happy and smiling for the crowd. Gaara and Temari met in the middle, before hooking arms and proceeding down the aisle after their brother and new sister-in-law. Gaara saw Temari sigh as they passed Shikamaru and Rox. He didn't bother to ask. He already knew, and Temari was grateful.

* * *

Three hours later, Gaara sat at the bridal party table looking so forlorn. They were about halfway through the reception, or as he liked to call it, the party celebrating the sham. He was dreading the speech he'd have to make for the "Happy" couple, as if his wedding gift wasn't generous enough. His gift to her was sparing her life, and his gift to his brother was the love of his life. He thought those gifts were pretty darn generous, given the circumstances. His appearance gift, so no one would question him more than necessary, had cost a pretty penny too, but being Kazekage, he got a discount. He had paid for one of the rooms in the Subakus' house to be turned into a nursery, completely on the down low. People would know he had gotten them a gift, but they wouldn't know what unless someone told them or had gotten a clue. Matsuri's size could probably be an indicator, though.

He stood up, holding his glass of wine, and tapping it lightly with a clean chop stick. He realized another huge hint was Matsuri not drinking wine, but sparkling cider. He put on a charming smile, masking his disdain for the spectacle. "As best man for Kankuro, I have to make a speech. And I promise it's not going to be long like my diplomatic ones," he joked, earning smiles from the audience. He saw Cordi sitting with Shikamaru, Roxanne, Ronni, Kiba, Naruto, and Hinata, and smiled. Cordi had recently been his rock through this emotional rollercoaster. She gave him two small thumbs up, as did Naruto, so he continued. "Kankuro is my older brother, which you all know. We have the same bond any brothers would have. The kind that's like you can't live with them, but you can't live without them. Sometimes they annoy the crap out of you, and others – they are the one person to put a smile on your face.

"I couldn't be happier that he found a woman like Matsuri. She's sweet, funny, and beautiful, what any guy would want." As he said that, he looked at her with knowing eyes. "I couldn't be happier for them. So, three cheers for the happy couple. Hip-hip – ,"

"Horray!" the crowd yelled back, Cordi's table being the quietest.

"Hip-hip –" he started again.

"Horray!"

"Hip-hip –" This time he sounded a little bit tired.

"Horray!"

"Cheers to you, Kankuro and Matsuri Subaku," Gaara ended, with a nod of his glass, before downing its entire contents.

He took a seat next to his brother who looked at him with a curious smile. "Touching," Kankuro said. It looked as if he didn't believe Gaara had said all that.

Since all the chatter had started up again, Gaara leaned over to Kankuro and whispered, "I felt that telling everyone that Matsuri was a cheating skank and that she chose you over me was in poor taste for a wedding toast." Kankuro pursed his lips and smiled sarcastically. This was the brother he had come to love over Gaara's years of good behavior. This snarky comment is exactly what the Gaara he knew would have said. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go ahead and get piss-drunk," Gaara stated, before leaving his seat for the open bar.

The bartender raised his brows, curious for the Kazekage's order. "A bottle of vodka, please," Gaara asked. The bartender nodded and placed one on the counter. Gaara grabbed it and opened it, taking a swig before turning around to see Cordi standing behind him.

"Nice speech," she smiled. He nodded, his lips pursed regretfully.

Then a thought popped into his head. "You want to leave and go for a walk?" She raised her eyebrows in confusion at his question. "I'll share my drink," he offered, shaking the bottle of clear alcohol as incentive.

She frowned a little at him, then said, "I prefer wine or champagne."

Gaara smiled and said to the bartender. "You heard her. A bottle of champagne." The bartender nodded and handed her one. Gaara offered her an arm and asked, "Shall we?"

"We shall," she smiled, linking her arm with his.

They walked out of the community hall and onto the streets of Suna. During their walk, Cordi tried to pop out the cork, but wasn't doing so well at it. "Here," Gaara said slightly annoyed, taking her bottle and popping it open rather quickly. He handed it back to her, then took a swig of his own drink. They looked at the sky, noticing the beautiful colors the sunset caused. Cordi sighed in awe of the sight. "If you think that's pretty, I know a view you'll love," Gaara stated, smirking a little.

"Show me," Cordi smiled. Suddenly the buildings around them were moving. It took her a couple seconds to realize that they were hovering on his sand. He directed them onto the Kazekage's building's roof. From here, all the colors a sunset could make were visible, and reflecting off the heat waves the sand cast in the distance.

"Oh, wow," Cordi gasped.

"Yeah. I love coming up here," Gaara stated. "It's a great get-away with a perfect view."

The sun quickly went down, though. So the couple decided to play a drinking game, Never Have I Ever. It was around eleven thirty to midnight, and they were already pretty hammered. (AN: I've never been drunk, so I don't really know drunk speak. So, throughout this scene, they are slurring their words, I just don't know how to write it.) Gaara's tuxedo coat lay to the side, abandoned. His bow-tie was untied and hung lazily around his neck. "Never have I ever gone shkinny-dipping," Gaara smirked. Cordi huffed and took a sip. Oh, how she wanted to wipe that smug smirk off his face.

"Never have I ever given or receive a blow job," Cordi smiled evilly. Gaara pouted and took a sip. "Aha-ha! Which one?" Cordi laughed.

"Received," Gaara stated sickened by the other possibility.

"You know, now that I think about it," Cordi started, holding down a hiccup, "that's really gross."

"Really? You're just getting someone sucking on you would be a little gross, now?" Gaara asked sarcastically, holding up too fingers to show how little. He tried to keep his hand steady, but it wasn't working.

"No, that's not what I'm thinking about," she stated, waving a hand wildly around. "I'm right in guessing the person giving you the BJ was Matsuri, right?" Cordi asked. Gaara nodded. "Well, if she was willing to give you BJ's, then why not Kankuro? And you guys would obviously make out sometime after all this happened. So following algebra law, if a=b, and b=c, then a=c – you sucked on Kankuro, and Kankuro sucked on you," Cordi explained, half smirking evilly in her defeat over him, and half sneering in disgust. Then she let out an unsuspected hiccup, before chasing it down with another sip of champagne.

Gaara's face paled as he gagged, fully understanding what she just said. "That ish REVOLTING!!" It was obvious he was trying to keep his lunch down. Then he saw her daydreaming slightly, her head swaying a little. "Don't even picture that!" he snapped, pointing an accusing finger at her – well trying to. With his had wavering so much, it wasn't so much at her than around her.

"Too late," Cordi laughed, with a hiccup.

"EW!!" he squealed, waving his arms around him. "You have got to be one of the most perverse people I have met!"

"Blame Lynne," Cordi laughed. "I was nowhere near thish perverse until she showed me Shnarry. I tell you, that stuff ish like porn in writing." All he could do was stare at her, his mouth agape. "Alright!" she yelled, pumping a fist into the air. "Never have I ever been asked to leave a playground by local officials."

With that, both of them took a swig. Gaara noticed this and said, "I thought the point of this game was to not get drunk." He hiccupped right after "drunk," making Cordi laugh.

"It ish, but I've reached the point everyone does eventually. So I don't care anymore," Cordi stated through her laughing, taking another swig. "So you tell first."

Gaara sighed before saying, "You probably already have it figured that I wash asked to leave, because I scared the other little kidsh, right?" Cordi nodded. "Well, there you have it," Gaara stated, chasing off the end of his tale with a swig of his vodka.

"Oh, well that'sh no fun. My story ish way better," Cordi scoffed. "Alright, so I was with my sister and some of her friends when we decided to play a game of jail tag. It was night, so when the police officer drove by, he instantly thought we were dealing drugs, because we were teenagers on a playground at night." Cordi laughed a little as Gaara gave her a strange look. "I guessh he jusht listened to stereotypes," Cordi continued, waving hand wildly. "So, he ashked ush to leave, and we did. That's it. Your turn."

Gaara thought a little, looking up to the sky. "You know, I honestly can't think of one," he sighed. He looked over to her, noticing she was swaying a little, even though she was sitting down. He started to get up, saying "We should probably be heading home."

"No!" she groaned, quickly snatching Gaara's arm and pulling him back down while he was off-balance.

"Whoa," he yelped, as he fell, landing on top of Cordi. He didn't think she meant to cushion his fall, but she did. His arms were on either side of her head, propping him up. His face was inches from hers, and the way he landed, his legs were in between hers. "Sorry" he muttered, trying to get up, but she had him in a vice grip.

"No, I'm having too much fun to leave jusht yet," Cordi whined. She tugged him a little closer to her body, making sure he wouldn't leave. Suddenly, she gained a strange look in her eye as she said, "You have very pretty eyesh, you know that?"

He was taken aback a little with her comment. He had never been told he had pretty eyes, at least not to his knowledge. He shook his head a little to answer her. The movement brought their faces closer together. Thoughts were running through his mind like rapid fire. She was so close to him, looking so innocent. Her face had a red tint to it, probably from the alcohol. He could feel her warm breath on his face. Involuntarily, his head leaned in, making his lips brush against hers, ever so lightly. He could feel blood rising to his face as he did this. "I'm so –" he didn't get to finish it his sentence as Cordi brought him into a deeper kiss. It took about three seconds to go from innocent and safe to hungry and passionate. Their tongues battled against each other as he felt her hands make their way through his crimson forest of hair, her fingers rubbing his scalp. He twirled locks of her hair around his long fingers.

He felt her hands leave his hair and fiddle with the buttons of his dress shirt. Gently pushing them away, he unbuttoned the piece of clothing himself, tossing it aside once he finished the tedious task. Her hands roamed over his bare torso, grinning as she felt his well toned body above hers, still kissing the Kazekage. She broke away from his mouth and trailed kisses down his pale neck to his slender collar bone. She heard him moan softly as she licked his almost white skin, swirling patterns with her tongue. She nipped a little at it, before trailing back up his neck to nip at his earlobe.

He placed his hand on her inner left thigh, gliding it up slowly, dragging her dress with it. He heard her moan the closer he got to his goal. He felt her widen her legs, giving him an easier access. He looked at her, as his hand got closer. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was open breathing. She reached down and pulled the dress off, exposing her body to Gaara. His hand finally reached her warmth, only blocked by her underwear. He could feel she was already starting to get wet. He smirked a little, pulling her panties down. As soon as he finished that, he put his hand back in its spot, his index and middle finger spreading her lips apart. He pushed his fingers into her, hearing her gasp, feeling her lungs shudder against him. He scissored his fingers while pushing them in and out. He slipped a third finger in her, curling and uncurling them inside her. He pushed his thumb against her bud, and heard her gasp, then mutter "Again." As he pushed and pulled his fingers in and out of her, he massaged her pearl, hearing her pant with pleasure. He saw her hands clenching and unclenching, making him smile. She widened her legs as she panted, "G-Gaara." He pulled his hand out of her, flicking it a little. He couldn't help but grin when he heard her groan and saw her mouth turn into a frowning pout.

He quickly kicked off his shoes and pants, and she unsnapped her bra and tossed it to the side. The moonlight shined on both of them. Cordi's eyes gazed longingly at Gaara as his skin gleamed in the moonlight. Gaara couldn't help but think she looked like a goddess as her pale skin sparkled back at him. He gave her a gently kiss, trailing kisses to her ear. His leaning had ended up rubbing his hard on against her inner thigh. "You ready?" he asked her huskily. He felt her nod against his face. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head as he thrust himself into her, drowning her gasp with another kiss. Her eyes were wide at his girth. He pulled away from the kiss, looking at the shock on her face. "Are you okay?" he asked, worried he did something wrong.

"N-no," she stuttered. "Just, just give me a second to-to get situated." She gave him the nod as soon as she adjusted, signaling him to start up. He dragged himself out a little, feeling her shudder beneath him, before slamming back into her, making her gasp again. She wrapped her legs around him, giving him a better angle. He pulled out again, and quickly pushed back in, getting deeper than the first two times. "Faster," Cordi groaned. Gaara smirked, speeding his pace up a little. She curled against him and bucked her hips with the rhythm. Both were panting hard soon enough. She felt her stomach twisting and curling until her muscles spasmed, radiating down to spaz around Gaara's manhood, making him fill her with his seed. Slightly tired, he pulled out of her, looking around the roof for their clothes, only to find that they were blown off the building without their own bodies to weigh them down. He bit his lip, thinking about what to do. Cordi noticed his face and looked around. She gave a nervous chuckle as she slurred a "Woops."

**AN:** So, yeah. Thanks for reading again! This is the first time I ever posted a lemon... so if you read it and want to review ... be nice please =.=o


	21. Chapter 20

**AN:** 1750+ views already? Just, wow! Thanks so much. I'm so sorry this is a day late! I got swamped with three papers, a cd cover design, and a notebook, all for one class due this morning. And then when I finally got around to finishing it, my internet wasn't working. Go figure. So I'm sorry. BTW, this is the second to last chapter of Part I. Sorry if you think Part I is so short. I'll tell you next week when I'll start up Part II. ^.^ I can promise you Part II is so much longer! Just the stuff that's going to go on then .

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, *hands you a tissue* Hold your head back. I know, too much sexual tension at once can do that…

And to Thomas Drovin, Well, you're right for the most part. It probably won't turn out as most everyone has expected, but it is the most realistic. Also, that was my first Lemon … it was just the first one I ever published. Normally I don't get far enough in my stories to get to them. ^.^ Good thing I'm doing so well with this story, eh? I'm happy you found Temari's tale enlightening. I felt it should be explained but I had to wait for the opportune moment.

And to Repentless Wind, Sorry, but I'm throwing you for another loop. I just keep you on your toes, don't I? I'm glad you liked the bit about Temari. I think you might like her a little more in this one.

And to Kalishnikov, I'm pleased that you like it so much!

And to Azura Soul Reaver, Thanks so much for your review! Please continue when you have a chance.

And to Sessholov4lyf, Here it is. I hope you like it as much as the other chapters.

And to GrimSpeck18, It's a different kind of Chakra rope. SO :P The kind of chakra rope he uses I do believe doesn't take away your chakra… Wait, isn't his called chakra stings, because if it is, this is way different. This is ROPE! Thick and tawny and uncomfortable. It's rope rope, made from ripped blades of a special grass that steals chakra. Make sense?

Special Thanks to Azura Soul Reaver and dsvjr10 for adding me and my story to your faves or to your alerts!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill.

**Chapter Twenty: Anger, Regret, and Disappointment**

The next morning, when Cordi woke up, it was dark. She then realized it was dark because the curtains were closed. A shiver ran down her spine, and she was completely awake. Suddenly, she was painfully aware that she was naked, and she could feel the chest of a man behind her. They were spooning. His hand rested on her shoulder. She could feel his shallow breathing as little puffs of carbon dioxide brushed against the crook of her neck. All of her memories of the night before rushed to her mind, giving her a slight headache. Right after their moment on the Kazekage Building, Gaara had used his sand to transport them back to his room. Instead of leaving for her room like she should have, their drunken stupor had pushed them to go for a second round, after which both passed out.

Upon remembering, she closed her eyes in regret. She had messed up so badly. She _had_ been saving herself. Now what? She felt dirty and sore – really, really sore. She was ashamed of herself. She put the palm of her hand to her head, trying to calm the thoughts running through her head.

Suddenly, she could feel shifting behind her. Gaara was waking up. She tried her hardest not to cry, especially not to sniffle, and seem emotionless. She felt Gaara move his hand that was rested on her shoulder, and then he noticed something and sat up, removing his arms from around Cordi. Feeling slightly dejected, Cordi sat up too, taking the sheet with her to cover herself up. They were both deathly silent and completely uncomfortable. If there was any time for the awkward turtle, it was now.

"Hey, Gaara! It's eleven o'clock in beautiful Suna! And it is time to …" Temari announced, walking in the room cheerily, only to stop when she saw Cordi and Gaara staring bug-eyed at her. Both of their faces seemed void of color. Temari's eyes widened and her face quickly turned a whiter shade of pale. She quickly turned back around and shut the door.

Both Cordi and Gaara stared silently at the shut door. Cordi brought her knees close to her and wrapped her arms around them in a protective position. Gaara looked down in shame. After a minute of sitting like that in an awkward silence, he quietly got up, slowly so as not to spook her, and walked over to his dresser, picking up a pair of boxers and putting them on without a word. He figured she didn't want to streak to her room at the opposite end of the hall. So, he grabbed another pair and handed them to her, without looking. She slowly took them from his hands and put them on, only to find him holding a black three-quarter length T-shirt. She meekly took that too and placed it over her bare torso. It hung off her a bit awkwardly, so he handed her a sash, which she tied around her waist, making sure the shirt was secured.

She looked up to see him fully dressed and about to walk out. She shouldn't have, but she stopped him. "Gaara," she said quietly. He did stop, his hand on the door, but he didn't turn to face her. "I think I deserve to know now if you want to be in a relationship with me or not." He remained silent. "Gaara, do you have feelings for me? A slight inkling?" she asked hopefully, her brown eyes shining at his back innocently. When he stayed silent, she pursed her lips then continued. "Gaara, I gave you my first kiss and my virginity. I think I've earned an answer," she practically growled.

He paused a couple seconds before saying, "I honestly don't know." As he said this, he turned his head slightly towards her a confused frown set on his face mixed a little with guilt. It was obvious he had regretted what had happened the night before.

She took in a shuddering breath as she set her jaw. He could practically feel the heat of her glare burning a hole through his head. "Talk to me when you do," she ordered. He could hear the venom dripping from each word as they spilled out of her mouth. He tightened his lips into a thin line, wanting to say something, but not able to think of what. "Leave now," she snarled dangerously. He still wanted to say something in his defense, but he knew she wasn't going to listen to a word he said now for obvious reasons. He nodded, observing his defeat, and quietly left the room, not seeing her silent tears fall from her lids.

* * *

Temari had walked downstairs to the kitchen, where everyone else was already awake and waiting, slowly, trying her hardest to figure out the puzzle the sight she had just witnessed presented her with. Her face was contorted in confusion, which drew the attention of most everyone at the table except Naruto, Ronni, and Kiba. "What's up, Sis?" Kankuro asked.

Temari blinked a couple times and furrowed her brow before saying, "I just walked in on Gaara and Cordi." Hearing this, Naruto, Ronni, and Kiba looked up. Now everyone in the kitchen had their faces contorted awkwardly to show their utter confusion of what was going on.

"Doing what?" Ronni asked, biting her lip a little.

"Well," Temari started, "uh. They were both naked?" She added the last bit of information more as a question than a statement, letting everyone's mind wander.

Rox looked shocked while Ronni obviously pondered what Temari said. "Nah!" Ronni laughed. "Cordi wouldn't sleep with Gaara. Cordi wouldn't sleep with anyone … well, not unless they were married. That's just not her."

"Well, we thought the same of you," Rox growled. "Then there was Chad." Ronni glared at Rox.

"Wait, you're not a …?" Kiba began to ask. His eyes were wide at this new information.

"No," Ronni interrupted before he could finish his question. Everyone's eyes had started to follow the argument. "That was a low blow, Rox."

"Really? I thought him giving you head was a low blow," Rox replied, laughing a little at her play on words.

"I'm lost," Naruto muttered to Shikamaru, who just shook his head.

"Are you guys ever going to let me live my relationship with him down? That was four years ago, and back then I was a stupid teenager jacked up on hormones," Ronni stated, glaring at her good friend.

"Uh, no," Rox smirked. "Because the fact is, you dated that asshole for a year. And everyone who had known you better than anyone else, even you, told you to get away from him because we could all tell he was an asshole. Especially to Cordi, who was your closest best friend. It took you a year to figure that out, even though it was obvious and everyone was telling you how he was treating the people closest to you."

"Look, I got it now. Chad's an ass. He will always be an ass," Ronni stated, tired of the argument.

"Good thing we got that settled," Rox stated. "Anyway, the point is Cordi might have slept with him. Remember she and Gaara left halfway through the reception and weren't heard from again."

Gaara walked in, just as she said the last bit of information, grabbing a seat at the table head. He shot everyone a look, telling them to shut up before they could even open their mouths. And they were for a couple minutes. It was one of those really long lasting awkward silences. That was until they heard Cordi making her way downstairs. "Aw, man! I've got sand _everywhere_!" Cordi groaned, fidgeting uncomfortably as she walked into the kitchen.

"He forgot to remove his Sand Armor again?" Matsuri asked. She ignored Gaara's murderous glare from the opposite end of the table.

Cordi pursed her lips then asked, "So, Temari's already told you huh?" smiling nervously around the table until she reached her sister's menacing glare. Cordi's mouth twitched in slight fear, but she masked it.

"How could you?" Rox growled. "Don't you have any self respect?"

"You know what Rox?" Cordi started, "I'd rather not talk about it right now. I'm really tired …"

"For obvious reasons," Rox interrupted.

"Stop both of you," Gaara growled, hands on his head trying to push away his extreme headache. It was silent for a while, which surprised Gaara. He looked up to see Cordi and Rox making hand seals he had never seen before. Everyone was looking at them nervously except for Ronni."No, jutsus in the house please," he growled.

They ignored him, continuing their hand seals when Ronni piped up and said, "They aren't hand seals. It's sign language. They have a relative who's deaf, so they learned how to speak it."

Gaara looked at her, confusion etched on his face. "They're talking – without talking?" Ronni nodded. "Can you tell me what they're saying?"

"No, sorry. I don't know that much," Ronni shrugged, looking up at him innocently. They watched the silent argument, confused as to how to stop them. Ronni's minor ADD finally kicked in as she turned to Gaara and asked, "So, are you guys like together now, or have just a friends with benefits relationship?" Gaara could only blink and give her a strange look.

"I am not jealous of you! Take that back!" Rox ordered as she shot up from her chair, making it screech against the floor.

Cordi just leaned back in hers with a smug smirk. "No, because it's true. You're jealous because I got my first kiss and slept with someone before you've even had your first kiss," Cordi replied with every ounce of a cocky attitude she could muster. She knew that this was nothing to be proud of, but she was getting sick of Rox's crap. So she decided bait her instead.

Everyone turned to Rox to see how she was going to parry that blow. Shikamaru was looking at her with the most interest. He was perplexed why Rox hadn't gotten her first kiss yet. She was by no means hideous. She probably had guys clamoring to be with her back at home.

Rox's eyes looked murderous. Her fingers and right eye started to twitch. Both Ronni and Cordi recognized the glint in her eye, and both looked on in fear. Cordi hid hers the best, but it was obvious her self-conscience had reached the fight-or-flight stage. Cordi jumped up and ran out of the kitchen. Rox snatched a wok that was drying next to the sink, holding the handle in a death grip, holding it as if it were a weapon. With lightning speed, Rox launched herself over the table and shrieked, "YOU'RE DEAD YOU INSOLENT BRAT!!!!!" Rox tore after her sister down the hall, who had just sprinted into the spacious library at the opposite end of the hall.

"RUN, CORDI!!! RUN!!!" Ronni screamed to her best friend, laughing a little at the two sisters. She couldn't help but chuckle and sigh, "Ah, sisterly love." Everyone turned to gawk at, Ronni who couldn't help but smile. "They always do this," she explained. They still gawked at her. "Geez, haven't you guys ever heard of Sibling Rivalry? Trust me, they'll be cutting up and joking in five seconds."

"GET BACK HERE YOU WHORE!!!" Rox shrieked, just before everyone heard a crashing sound come from their direction, making them turn to see what was going on.

They saw Cordi run out of the library laughing as she called back to Rox, "You missed me!" She also stuck her tongue out to bait her sister a little more. They suddenly saw Rox jump out of the library, slamming the already dented wok on the stone floor where Cordi had just been, as Cordi jumped to the left, dodging the blow. Rox swung her right leg around, to pull Cordi's legs out from under her. Cordi yelped and jumped again, dodging her sister's leg. Rox straightened herself and swung the wok at her sister's head, only to have it caught by Cordi's hand.

"Rox, honestly, I've been doing this to you for years. You haven't caught onto when I'm baiting you or not?" Cordi laughed.

Rox sneered, and threw her free fist at Cordi's face, which Cordi didn't notice until it was too late. Cordi was knocked down onto her but, rubbing her cheek where Rox had hit her. "You're punch was sloppy," Cordi remarked.

"Oh, like your dodge?" Rox laughed, knowing she had won that little bout. Cordi nodded, accepting her defeat with a small smile. "Cordi, why are you always such a bitch?"

"Oh, this coming from the queen of them?" Cordi laughed, baiting her a little more. Rox just glared at Cordi, and tapped her feet impatiently. "Sorry," Cordi chuckled. "Because you were so worried about this changing me like it did Ronni. There was only one way I knew of to assure you that it was still me. Snarky, sarcastic me," she explained quietly. Most everyone in the kitchen had issues catching it.

"Could you have done it not at my expense?" Rox growled, frowning at her little sister.

Cordi screwed up her face in deep thought until she said, "Nope."

"You probably could have. You just didn't," Rox muttered. Cordi just grinned innocently. Rox helped pull her sister off the ground, letting her dust herself off before walking back to the kitchen with her. Cordi side-kicked her butt, only to get Gibb's-smacked on the back of the head by Rox. Other than that, they quietly retreated to their seats. The rest of the breakfast was quiet.

* * *

"Hey, Neji. What are you doing here?" Lynne asked as she and Fred were walking around town. They could see the brown-haired bombshell with long silky brown hair walking through the market district of Konoha, window shopping.

"Nothing much, just taking a walk. You?" Neji asked, stepping away from the hypnotic window to look at them.

"Same," Fred stated, smiling at him. "You want to join us?"

"Would you mind?" Neji asked. "I told Lee I had to ditch practice with him because I was meeting up with somebody. Knowing Lee, he's probably following me to see who I had to meet." Lynne and Fred nodded sympathetically to the older Hyuuga.

"There you are!" a female called. They all turned to see the pink-haired kunoichi herself, Sakura. "Lady Tsunade needs to speak with you three immediately." With the urgent look on her face, none of them wasted any time getting to the Hokage's office.

"Ah, Sakura was able to find you," Tsunade sighed as they walked into the bright office.

"Well, she said it was urgent … or so we figured," Fred explained to the Hokage. Lynne noticed Sasuke standing against the wall, separated from the rest of the group. Lynne waved to him with a smile, but he paid her no attention, making her frown. The Hokage turned to them. Her face held a perplexed expression. She crossed over her desk, so she could talk to them more properly.

"Yes, well, ever since you arrived, I've been looking through our archives to see if they had anything on other worlds, seeing if there was a way we could return you there. Obviously your families are missing you," Tsunade explained. Fred and Lynne frowned, remembering the people back at home that were probably worried sick about them. With everything that was going on here, they had kind of forgotten about them. That fact made them feel guilty that they could ever do such a thing. "This morning, I was looking through our archives again when I found something interesting. I figured that I should tell you that I have set up a meeting with you all tomorrow, and I'll tell you more about what I've found then. But I need to ask you to send Cherokee and Saryu to Suna to pick up the rest of the people in the meeting. I've already sent an eagle with my message telling them to come post haste."

"Why have you asked me here?" Sasuke growled, obviously bored about being there and not being told the reason.

"Well, you and Neji need to be at the meeting. As does Gaara, Kankuro, Shikamaru and Naruto. It's not just the girls," she explained, scowling at the Uchiha's impatience. "Could you please send them. I'm not sure Aleera, Gryffin, and Nessie can hold all of them." Lynne and Fred nodded, sending a mental message to Cherokee and Saryu to fly to Suna to pick up everyone else.

* * *

It was nearing four o'clock in Suna, and everyone was waiting for the Cherokee and Saryu. They had decided that Gaara would ride with Cordi on Aleera, Naruto and Hinata would be on Cherokee, and Kankuro would ride Saryu by himself. Everyone else would stay the same. They hadn't taken long to pack after receiving the message right after finishing their breakfast. It was decided that Matsuri would stay behind, and Temari would help her out if she needed anything. Gaara had to talk to the council, and made Temari acting Kazekage until his return. And that's what led them to be there waiting for Cherokee and Saryu.

Hearing roars in the distance, they all looked up to see Cherokee and Saryu gliding in and sliding their landing, spraying sand everywhere from impact, most of it getting on Aleera. She frowned and said, "Thanks a lot guys." She shook some of it off, but kept her shoulders steady so Cordi and Gaara wouldn't fall off.

"Oh, it was no problem." Saryu grinned. He turned his head to Gryffin to say, "See you're girlfriend hasn't changed one bit."

"I'm not his girlfriend," Aleera growled, blushing a little.

At the same exact time, Gryffin had growled, "She's not my girlfriend," also blushing.

"Jinx," Cherokee laughed, making Nessie frown because she was just about to say it. "Ha! Now, neither of you are allowed to talk for the entire trip." Gryffin and Aleera let out guttural growls at the emerald dragon. "So, Nessie, how did you fare by yourself with these hot-tempered goons?"

"Pretty well, considering I balanced them out with my cool-temper," Nessie replied, smirking smugly.

"As fascinating as this is, we need to get going," Kankuro muttered, having already clambered onto Saryu's back. The dragons nodded their understanding, and waited for Naruto and Hinata to climb on top of Cherokee, except Aleera, not so patiently. She was tapping her foot, ready to get to Konoha and hear the urgent news. As soon as they had, the dragons leapt into the heavens, letting out five roars. This was the first time they had ever flown together as a group, and they were excited.

**AN:** And that's the end of chapter 20! I hope you've enjoyed it. The next one is the last one until I begin Part II!! Yay, exciting! Please remember to review!


	22. Chapter 21

**AN:** 1900+ Just, wow! Thanks so much. I have a feeling that it's going to be over 2,000 by the time everyone has finished reading this. Sorry I came up with the last chapter. But Part II should be out shortly. I don't know exactly when. Probably two weeks from now. I know, you guys will be very mad at me at the end, sorry.

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, You're welcome. The sad part about Cordi's and Rox's fight is that my sister and I actually do fight like that. So to my best friends who have seen us fight like that, they read it and just say, "That scene isn't hard to imagine at all." Actually one friend has already said the next time I go over to her house, she's handing my sister their wok and is going to watch.

And to Thomas Drovin, Yes, this brings this part to a close. =.=o I'm already kind of depressed.

And to Repentless Wind, You thought that was a cliffie. Just wait.

And to Azura Soul Reaver, I'm glad you thought so.

And to Gaaras1Girl, You will find out soon.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill

**Chapter Twenty-one: Saying Goodbye**

The ride to Konoha wasn't too long. It was just too quiet. Yes, the dragons made their idle chit-chat. It had been months since Cherokee and Saryu had been with Aleera, and even though they treated her meanly, she was still one of their best friends. Throughout the ride, Aleera was telling her fish tales of "I once ate a deer this big! It was so good!" The other dragons laughed along, enjoying her hyperboles. But the ninjas were eerily quiet the entire way there. Cordi and Gaara didn't say one word to each other. Kankuro didn't talk at all either. He just sat on Saryu's back and pondered everything. He was kind of miffed he was missing the first day of his honeymoon, but he'd survive. Rox was still awkward around Shikamaru about the little tidbit of information he learned about her that morning, as were Ronni and Kiba. Naruto and Hinata were the only ones talking to each other.

As soon as they landed in Konoha, they got off the dragons' backs, letting the dragons fly back to their usual hangout in the forest. Tsunade was waiting for them at the gate, along with Lynne, Fred, Sasuke, and Neji. The girls couldn't help but notice it felt weird that they were all together again. It felt like an ending of a good book, but they all pushed that feeling aside. Cordi was the first one off her dragon to hug Fred and Lynne. It had been so long since she had seen them. They all squealed in their group hug. Ronni and Rox jumped down and joined in the hugging and squealing. Everyone else looked on awkwardly, waiting for them to finish with their excitement. Naruto smiled at the obvious show of friendship. As they broke apart, Cordi sighed, "It's been too long. We should never be apart for this long again." Tears were welling up into her eyes, making the other girls smile, holding tears in their eyes too. They all nodded in agreement, before giving one last hug. The let go of each other, and dried their eyes, to turn to Tsunade, who was waiting to talk to them.

"Alright," Tsunade started." It's good to see you all here. The meeting is tomorrow at nine in the morning. Please be there promptly. I've set up a hotel room for you," she said, pointing to Gaara, Kankuro, and Cordi. "It's complimentary, so don't worry about any bills. Sasuke is going to show you where it is. Remember be at my conference room promptly at nine. I will see you tomorrow." With that, Tsunade puffed to her office (AN: All people who've gotten past Jounin can do it even though she doesn't to it often).

Cordi looked over to see Sasuke leaning against a lamp post. "When did he go good?" Cordi blurted, pointing in his direction. Lynne gawked at her for asking, wanting to knock her block off, but held her fist still.

"About three years ago," Kankuro muttered expressionlessly. It was obvious he didn't really care for the Uchiha.

Cordi bit the inside of her lip and walked over to Sasuke, looking as if she was pondering something. He gave her a confused look until she gave him a firm whack to the back of the head. "That's for being a moron," she stated. Suddenly, Lynne launched on her before she could even see Sasuke's surprised face, banging her on the head with a firm fist. "What the hell Lynne!?" Cordi shrieked, managing to get Lynne off of her.

"Don't hit Sasuke," Lynne snarled, shaking her fist at her best friend. Cordi just gawked at her. Everyone else just gave her an awkward stare.

"Lynne, you've known it's been my life-long goal to hit Sasuke for years for acting like a retard," Cordi stated. "What makes you think that would change?"

"Don't hit Sasuke," Lynne snarled in a more menacing voice, still shaking her fist.

"Ri-ight," Cordi slurred. "Well, thanks, Sasuke, for letting me accomplish my goal. I can now die happy knowing I've hit you."

"You're welcome?" Sasuke asked, his brows furrowed in confusion. The hit to the head didn't hurt as much anymore.

"I should warn you though, if you do go to the dark side again, be forewarned that instead of Naruto being at the battle to bring you back, it will be me – with a shovel – beating the brains out of your skull," Cordi warned, glaring at the grown up Uchiha. He looked back at her with surprised confusion, and maybe a hint of fear, but that was barely shown. She gave him a wink, then started to walk off.

"Hold on," Rox called before everyone decided to split up. "Why don't we get together tonight and hang out?" It was a good idea to break the ice for everyone.

"Well, our suite should be able to fit everyone. How about everyone comes over at nine?" Kankuro asked. Gaara nodded in agreement, showing everyone that he'd allow the small party.

"Yeah. Everyone over at the – wait what hotel?" Ronni asked, turning to Sasuke.

"The Grove Hotel," Sasuke stated in a bored tone.

"Ok. Everyone at the Grove Hotel at nine o'clock," Ronni stated cheerfully, pumping her fist in the air.

"So, how was your mission?" Rox asked Lynne, shifting the subject.

"Yeah, inquiring minds want to know," Cordi laughed. Rox had told her that Lynne and Sasuke were on a mission together when they arrived and Cordi had been curious ever since as to how it went.

"Well," Lynne grinned. "I got to save Sasuke from pirates." She grinned triumphantly. Cordi almost didn't believe it.

"We're leaving," Sasuke growled, turning away from the group and starting to walk down the main street. After that little action, she figured that Lynne's little tale must had been the truth, and she'd have to ask about it later. Gaara and Kankuro had started to follow Sasuke, so she figured that she should leave the group at the gate and follow them.

* * *

Nine o'clock rolled around faster than everyone expected. The first guests to arrive were Rox and Shikamaru; then Neji, Lynne, Hinata, and Naruto; then Ronni, Kiba, and Fred; and Sasuke came last by himself. By then, Lynne was already pretty close to hammered and flirting mercilessly with Neji on the couch, which Sasuke was not too pleased with, which he didn't understand. To Saryu, it was obvious that she was ignoring his pleas to cool it with the drinking.

Then around eleven, things started to cool down. So to liven things up again, the still sober Cordi and Rox decided to start up a game of Never-Have-I-Ever. It took a lot of coaxing to get Gaara to play, considering what happened last time, but they managed the task and he joined the circle. Rox decided to start and they would go around clock-wise around the circle. Everyone had some sort of drink in hand. "Never have I ever had sex," Rox smiled, knowing a good half would drink to that. Lynne guzzled her low-ball glass of vodka in a quick chug instantly. When she looked up, she noticed that Cordi was taking a small sip from her glass of red wine. As was Gaara, Kankuro, Shikamaru, Ronni, and Fred. But Cordi was what surprised her the most.

"Cordi!" she yelled, pointing an unsteady finger at the two Cordi's she saw. "You've had sex!" Cordi pursed her lips and nodded. "With a dick?" she asked, as if it wasn't normal. Cordi and Gaara looked at her confused.

"Yeah," Cordi explained, brows furrowed in confusion. "Unless Gaara hasn't told me something," she chuckled, looking at Gaara, whose eyes just widened as the redness in his face became more apparent.

"You shmexed Gaara!?" Lynne nearly shrieked, pointing back and forth between Gaara and Cordi. "When!?"

"Last night, twice," Cordi stated, redness flowing to her cheeks that wasn't from the drinking. She held up two fingers to signify the whole twice bit.

"It's a friends with benefits thing," Ronni hiccupped, earning a glare from Cordi and the Kazekage.

"Let's move on, shall we?" Rox interrupted before something nasty broke out. That nasty being Gaara's legendary temper.

"OH!! OH!!!" Lynne jumped up excitedly, waving her hand around energetically. "MY TURN!! MY TURN!!! Never have I ever – I'm out of drink," she giggled. "I'll be right back." She got up and stumbled over to the counter where the drinks were, and poured herself another glass of vodka, spilling a lot of it on the counter. She didn't really care that she was skipping most of the group. She held up her glass and said, "Never have I ever had sex in the work place." With that she downed that glass, as Gaara, Kankuro, Shikamaru, and Cordi took a sip of their drinks. She turned back to the counter, pouring another glass.

Kankuro eyed Cordi as she set her glass back down. "I thought you said Gaara was your first," He stated, his brows furrowed.

"The Kazekage building's roof counts as the work place," Gaara stated for her, his face turning slightly red. Kankuro just gawked at them, now understanding why Cordi didn't just come down in the clothes she had worn the night before. They had been blown away.

"Wouldn't that also be considered a public place?" Shikamaru asked. They're silence obviously meant yes.

"Never have I ever had sex in a public place," Lynne laughed, tossing back the vodka and refilled the glass again. Cordi and Gaara frowned, taking another sip from their glasses.

"K, my turn," Cordi stated, deciding to make Lynne's run stop. Lynne quietly stumbled back to her seat, letting Cordi continue with her turn. "Never have I ever been stalked by a squirrel." Rox frowned, taking a sip of raspberry vodka.

"You did that on purpose," she grimaced, glaring a little at Cordi.

"How else are we going to get you to drink something?" Cordi asked. Rox just shrugged.

"Squirrels stalk you in your world?" Naruto asked. He was a little buzzed, but he hid it well. Hinata on the other hand was the silent drunk type, so no one really knew how far gone she was.

"Just the demonic ones from my school," Rox replied smiling. "All the other ones were too skittish." Naruto nodded, a silent "Oh" on his lips.

"You have really nice hair," Lynne slurred to Neji, who was giving her a strange look as she ran a hand through his chocolate locks. At least until she launched on him, starting a little make out session.

"Ok, Lynne," Cordi sighed, pulling her up off of Neji so he could get some air.

Sasuke glared at the Hyuuga with an indescribable expression, then stood up and said, "I'm going to head home now. It was fun." He left his glass on the table and stormed out of the hotel suite.

"Yeah, we should be heading back too," Naruto stated, looking at his watch. He sobered up a little, helping Hinata get up in her drunken stupor. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," he said, walking out the door.

Meanwhile, Cordi had replaced the vodka in the glass with pure water and handed it to Lynne. "Here, Lynne. It looked like you needed a refill," Cordi stated, pretending she was holding vodka.

"You, silly. Only water comes out of the sink," Lynne laughed.

Cordi pursed her lips. She hated smart drunks, because then it was harder to trick them into sobering up. "Oh, you didn't know that this hotel has vodka on tap?" Cordi lied.

"Really!?" Lynne asked, snatching the glass of "vodka" water away from Cordi, and chugging it down. Cordi refilled the glass with water and handed it to her.

"Drink it slowly, otherwise your stomach will burst," Cordi stated. Lynne nodded, taking small sips of the water.

"Did I tell you that I think you and Gaara should get together and make beautifa babies?" Lynne asked, her glazy dilated eyes searching Cordi's face tiredly.

Cordi pursed her lips, and expression of annoyance and boredom crossing her face. "That would be the seventeenth time you've said it tonight," Cordi informed.

"Oh, well you definitely should," Lynne stated seriously. She then leaned over the counter to face Gaara and said, "Gaara, you seriously should make pretty babies with Cordi." Gaara furrowed his invisible brows and pursed his lips in mock annoyed contemplation. He just blinked slowly at her and huffed. "Don't hmmmmmmmmpphhhhhfffffff me! Take my advice and do IT!!!"

"Does she know what she's saying?" Gaara asked Cordi.

"Most likely not," Cordi stated. "Hey Rox. I think Lynne needs to go home."

Rox nodded, pulling everyone else up. "Come on guys, time to go." Kiba helped Ronni out to the door, as Shikamaru, who was still sober, grabbed Lynne. Rox grabbed Fred, and Neji was able to walk himself. He was only buzzed. They all quickly said their goodbyes and goodnights, telling everyone that they'd see them later at the meeting. As soon as everyone left, Cordi, Gaara, and Kankuro went wordlessly to their rooms to sleep.

* * *

It didn't take Rox and Shikamaru long to get everyone back to their respective apartments. They basically let them inside, and let them find their way to their beds. Shikamaru walked with Rox to her apartment, joking around as she fumbled her keys, looking for the right one. When she finally opened her door, Shikamaru grabbed her wrist gently. She gave him a strange look as he leaned in, brushing his lips against hers. She quietly complied, pushing her lips closer against his. He pushed his tongue against her lips, which she parted, letting him slip inside and play with hers a little bit.

He pulled away, smirking as he asked, "How did you like you first kiss?"

"I-it was g-good," she stuttered, not completely back to reality yet.

Shikamaru laughed and nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow then," he stated, saluting her goodbye. Then he walked off towards his house.

Rox walked inside her apartment, a hand held to her mouth. She closed the door and leaned against it. "Wow," she muttered after the few seconds it took for her brain to process just what had happened.

* * *

At the meeting the next morning, Tsunade stood, waiting for them t grab their seats. Naruto was running a little late as were Lynne, Ronni, and Kiba. All the dragons looked in from the windows surrounding the room. Everyone jumped as the doors slammed open, revealing Naruto, Lynne, Kiba, and Ronni, racing to get to the room first. Hurriedly, they raced to their seats, gasping for air as they sat down. "Glad to see you all could make it," Tsunade muttered sarcastically. "Now, let's get started. Yesterday, I was going through the archives when I found something I thought I should tell all of you."

"Did you find a way to get us back home?"Rox asked worriedly. As much as she missed her home, she wasn't completely sure she wanted to go back, especially when everything here was going so well.

"No. I'll read to you what I found," Tsunade stated, pulling out and old sheet of paper. It had to be at least a hundred years old. She cleared her throat and started to read.

"_Five Ladies from another world_

_Each of hidden power._

_One is Fire_

_One is Water_

_One is Wind_

_One is Earth_

_One is Spirit_

_Each with creatures to help their cause._

_They come to help these chosen_

_Five men of strength and wisdom._

_One is Sand_

_One is Beast_

_One is Shadow_

_One is Manipulation_

_One is Sight_

_These ten will help the one of Nine_

_To defeat the darkness soon to take hold of the World._

_But these actions must first be completed_

_Otherwise we are doomed to fail._

_Fire must melt Sand_

_Water must capture Beast_

_Wind must intrigue Shadow_

_Earth must vex Manipulation_

_And Spirit must heal Sight_

_If the battle is won_

_These ladies will reign and be prosperous for many years._

_If not_

_Darkness will enslave the Earth_

_And all things good will disappear._"

The group looked at her strangely as she finished reading it. "It's a prophecy, written about a hundred years ago from the date. The First Hokage wrote a letter, which he attached to it, saying it was written by the local Soothsayer at that time. Apparently he was very good at his craft, so the First didn't want to throw it out. Instead he saved it for a time when it would be useful, which is now."

"But, what does it mean?" Gaara asked. "The third part makes little sense. And what's this darkness they're talking about?"

"Well, that's the thing about prophecies," Saryu jumped in. "It's rare that they ever make sense unless looking at them in hind sight."

"It's basically telling us about an apocalypse," Tsunade growled. "You eleven have to work together to defeat it. If it's as bad as it sounds, then everyone here needs to train hard if we even hope to defeat it."

"What about the third part that tells us what we have to do, otherwise we fail?" Shikamaru asked.

"We'll figure that one out when we hand it to our ciphers," Tsunade explained.

"So, you didn't find a way to get us back?" Fred asked, her face twisted in confusion.

"No," Tsunade stated. "It looks as though you will be here for a while."

"Why are we here?" Sasuke asked, still very bored. "I get the girls being here. But why us? Only six of us need to be here," he gestured to the ninja guys sitting in the room. Everyone looked around, seeing there was an extra guy in the group. "Why have you asked seven of us to be here?"

"It said five men of power right?" Naruto asked. "Well, Gaara is obviously Sand. Kiba would have to be Beast. Shikamaru is Shadow. I'm guessing Kankuro would be Manipulation. So Sight would be …" He stopped to think.

"There is no way we can differentiate Sight between you or Neji," Tsunade explained, finishing Naruto's thought.

"Well, I may just be going about this all wrong," Kankuro started, "but the verbs used in part three all have sexual connotations." Everyone rolled their eyes, and he could have sworn he heard Gaara mutter something along the lines of "Everything to you has a sexual connotation." "Look, just bear with me," Kankuro ordered, leaning forward in his chair. "I'll take the one that's supposed to be my part in that verse. '_Earth must vex Manipulation'._Now, to vex is to confuse someone emotionally. They don't know whether they are supposed to like them or not. Another one, '_Fire must melt Sand'_. Fire must make Sand soft, and maybe, since it is Gaara we're talking about, rid him of a stone heart," Kankuro explained. Gaara shot him a small glare, but Kankuro ignored it. "Look, I can't be the only person thinking this." Everyone else nodded in agreement. "So, I don't think I'm Manipulation considering the fact I'm married now."

"That maybe, but you are the only one that it fits so far," Tsunade explained. "If we find the Manipulation it's talking about, you can fill him in on your theory."

Kankuro sat back in his seat, grudgingly. "I think the best thing we can do now is just train," Ronni stated.

"And you five need the most training," Tsunade stated, looking at the girls.

"Which is why I would suggest us going off for a year or so," Aleera stated. Everyone donned a confused look and looked up to the dragon. "The best training they've had is with us," Aleera explained. "Ever since you all found out about us and had us separated, they've been distracted, and aren't as strong as they should be."

"So, you're saying we should take them away to train with them and become better fighters?" Cherokee asked. Aleera nodded, confirming Cherokee's statement.

Tsunade stopped to think, then turned to Shikamaru. "What do you think?" she asked him, a little worried.

"It sounds like the best plan thought up so far. Take what happened to Naruto," Shikamaru explained. "He went off with the Toad Sage and surpassed all of us, because he didn't have missions to distract him. He could focus just on his training. It seems that if the girls need that much training, this is the soundest option." Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, even the girls, who didn't really want to leave, but they knew it was for the best.

"Then you should set out as soon as possible. We have no idea when this apocalypse will happen and we need you to be in the fittest shape you can be in," Tsunade ordered. The girls nodded.

"We'll set out this afternoon at one," Saryu ordered. He nodded to the other dragons, telling them silently that it was time to leave.

"We should probably go pack," Rox stated, standing up, gesturing to the rest of the girls that they should leave too. They nodded in agreement and got up slowly, leaving the meeting hall quietly.

"This meeting is over," Tsunade stated to the guys who were still sitting there. They quietly got up and left together.

* * *

One o'clock rolled around faster than anyone wanted it to. Rox was packed, along with Lynne, Fred, and Ronni. They waited for Cordi in the square. Not wanting to waste their time, they slowly went around the circle hugging everyone goodbye. Tears were shed. They already missed their new friends.

"I've had the most fun time these past three months hanging out with you," Kiba stated. Akamaru barked in his two cents.

"Me too," Ronni replied to him, a small tear sliding down her cheek. She then knelt down to Akamaru and pet his head and ears. "I'm going to miss both of you." Akamaru made a whining noise, not really wanting her to go. "Oh, Akamaru don't cry. I'll come back, I promise." She stood up and gave Kiba another hug. She pulled away and pointed at both of them, "You two take good care of each other." They nodded their response, sad to see her have to hop up on Nessie and set her bags in place.

Meanwhile, Fred was hugging Hinata goodbye and gave Naruto a nice handshake. "I'm glad you guys finally got together," she smiled. "I'll see you around." Quickly she jumped up on Cherokee, making sure everything was set on her.

Rox was already on Gryffin's back, bags already situated. She and Shikamaru exchanged knowing glances, not really needing words to say goodbye. They knew they'd see each other again soon. He knew she'd miss him, and she knew he'd miss her. They didn't need words to say that. They knew that they would worry about each other; the words didn't have to be said.

Lynne gave Neji a hug goodbye, apologizing for glomping him the night before. She pulled away from him and started to walk towards Saryu. She looked up to see Sasuke on top of a nearby building, watching silently. She gave him a small salute goodbye, and hopped up on Saryu, getting situated for the ride.

* * *

During that time Cordi was still in the hotel suite, thinking of everything that had happened, as was Gaara. He looked out the window which had a perfect view of the Konohan Gate. Everyone was already there saying their goodbyes. He walked over to Cordi's room, about to knock on the door when he heard her singing with the stereo again. It had been a while, and he had forgotten how much he liked hearing her sing. "It started out as a feeling, / which then grew into a hope,/ which then turned into a quiet thought, / which then turned into a quiet word./ And then that word grew louder and louder,/ till it was a battle cry," She sang. He realized they were running late and he knocked on the door. She stopped singing and bustled around, turning off the stereo she was singing with. "Come in!"

He pushed the door aside and said, "Everyone is meeting at the gates." He wanted to say something else, but he couldn't find the words or even the feelings he wanted those words to be put to. "So, that's it," he stated, turning around to leave.

"Gaara, wait," Cordi sighed, walking over to him. He turned to face her, confusion etched on his face. "I don't want to leave knowing we're mad at each other and having that what you remember when I get back. I'm sorry things got a little strange. I mean, I've been practically in love with you for years, and you've only known me for a few months. And when I found out you were real, my feelings grew, I guess. I tried my hardest to convince myself that we should only be friends, but you see where that got us. And the sex didn't help much, I know." Gaara cringed as she said that, but let her continue. "I understand if you don't want to get involved with me. I wouldn't want to just yet either. I understand that that night was a mistake, and I'm willing to move past it. So," she stuck out her hand, with a small smile, "friends?" He smiled, gently taking her hand and shaking it.

She took in a shuddering breath, and a silent tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm going to miss you," she said through a smile and a sad sob. He pulled her gently into a hug, rubbing her head as her back racked with sobs. He felt his heart grow a little. He had never heard someone say that to him. He was sure people did miss him when he was gone, but being told he was going to be missed was completely different.

He felt a single tear slide down his cheek as he said, "I'll miss you, too."

She laughed a little. "You know, I never thought I'd hear you say that?" she asked, pulling away from the embrace, wiping her eyes dry.

"Yeah, me either," he chuckled. He placed his hand out in front of him. "Goodbye, Cordi."

She grabbed his hand in a firm grip, then replied, "Goodbye, Gaara. – Aren't you going to see me off at the gate?"

"I have to pack. Kankuro wants to get back as soon as possible," Gaara informed. Cordi nodded understandingly, reaching behind her to grab her bag on the bed.

"Well, then I'll see you when I get back. Oh, would you mind … ?" Cordi started. He raised his eyebrows waiting for her to continue. "Could you take my stereo and stuff to Rox's apartment? There should be a key underneath the mat. If not, then ask Shikamaru … then again you could use your sand." He smirked at her. "Right, I'm rambling. Would you mind if I asked you to do that for me?"

"No," Gaara smiled. "I'll take it over before we leave."

"Thanks," Cordi sighed. "Well, see you."

"Yeah," Gaara said light-heartedly, whispering, "see you," as she walked out of the hotel room. He quietly walked around the room. It seemed empty without her in it. Clumsily he knocked the stereo and it turned back on with "I'll come back/ when you call me./ No need to say goodbye./ Just because everything's changing/ doesn't mean it's not been this way before./ All you can do is know who your friends are/ as you head off to the war./ Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light./ You'll come back/ when it's over./ No need to say goodbye./ You'll come back/ when it's over./ No need to say goodbye." He was relaxing against the bed while listening to it. He quietly leaned forward and turned it off before it could remind him anymore of Cordi and the fact that she was leaving. He already missed her a lot. He could feel it in his core, the empty feeling of missing someone close.

He used his sand to transport himself onto the rooftop. From here he had a perfect view of the gate. There stood five dragons, each with a rider. He watched as they launched into the skies, flying high above the trees that surrounded Konoha, his heart sinking as they become nothing but specks on the horizon. Now they were gone, and no one knew how long it would take for them to finish their training and return.

* * *

A while away in a dark cave sat a girl. She had black hair with red streaks. Her tired eyes held two different colors. The left eye was blue and the right eye was brown. The blue eye seemed faded at the moment though. She wore nothing but rags. She looked dirty and homeless. Her head snapped up as she heard a tap near the cave entrance. "Wh-who's there?" she asked nervously. Her breath quickened as she saw a man wearing all black walked in so she could see. He had an orange pumpkin like mask and black hair.

"My name is Madara Uchiha. I would like you to join an organization I'm forming called Akatsuki," the man in the orange mask explained holding a hand out to her.

The girl's eyes were wide with fear. Her breathing quickened it's pace as she started to hyperventilate from the fear. She knew about Madara Uchiha, and she had heard about the previous Akastuki's evil doings. Suddenly her eyes slackened and her brown eye glazed over as her blue one became more lifelike. She looked up at the man in the mask, a sinister smirk across her features. She took his hand and stood up. "I'd only be happy to join."

**Part I End**

**AN:** Yes, here lies the end of part one. As I said, the first chapter of Part II should be up in a couple weeks. I think I might just keep it in the same story rather than create a new one. That's just too much of a hassle. Please review!!


	23. PART 2: Chapter 1

**AN:** 2000+ Just, wow! Thanks so much. I was right about my feeling with the views. Anyway, sorry it's been awhile. Originally I was going to post this last week, but creativity part of my brain had decided to go to smush during that two week break. Originally, I wanted the two week break to show you all that this was supposed to be closer to being Book two, instead of Part two. I know how it's labeled, but the first Part's plot is done, and now we are looking at the new Plot, which should be more towards the main plot. Makes sense? Good! Oh, and don't get confused over the chapter names in the scroll thing over there.  I just started the chapter count over again to keep with the whole, It's a completely new Part/Book.

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, Well, I'm glad you like it so much! ^.^ Sorry it's been a while, but I hope the chapter doesn't disappoint you.

And to Thomas Drovin, You're right. Madara Uchiha will not be a push-over. Thanks for adding this to your alerts. It'll be easier to know I kept my promise. ^.^

And to Repentless Wind, Yes, lots of changes. Thus the name for the chapter. I'm glad you liked the ending of the last chapter. I just had to end it that way. That was the way I had imagined ending Part One since I started writing this story.

And to Azura Soul Reaver, Don't mean to sound egotistical, but I thought so too. ^.^

And to Gaaras1Girl, Why yes, yes I was. No! Why would I do that? Oh, and Congrats on the whole Graduation. I was in your shoes four months ago. FUN! ^.^

And to GrimSpeck18, Uhm, Kaiti … tmi. Maeir and I read that review and were like "OH MY EYES!!! THE HORRIBLE MENTAL PICTURE!!! _**IT BURNS US**_!!!!" haha. And all I have to say about the whole Salute thing is "My dog has no nose."- Sasuke "How does it smell?"- Sasuke Fangirls "Awful!"-Sasuke. You've seen that Monty Python skit.

And to Rubyparker93, Thanks for reading. Why wouldn't I take that as a compliment. I'm happy to help anyone with ideas, and inspiring fun scenarios. ^.^

And to Dantesfreezer, I'd laugh, but I'm betting it's completely true… what the hell? Why not laugh?

Special thanks to rubyparker93 for adding this story to your faves! WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!!! ^o^P

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill

**Part Two: The Legendaries**

**Two Years Later**

**Chapter One: Changes**

It was a clear blue day, warm and sunny. There were a couple small clouds hanging in the robin's egg blue sky. A slight breeze roamed the streets of Konoha. It was the beginning of October, made obvious by the trees surrounding Konoha becoming vibrant and colorful. The red, yellow, and orange hues of the leaves cast a strange yet beautiful feeling over the crowd in the village square.

Gaara, Suna's Kazekage, stood 5 feet 9 inches tall on top of the Hokage building, along with the Tsuchikage, Mizukage, Raikage, and several important Feudal Lords. Tsunade stood up there behind a podium, speech notes in hand. It wasn't like she needed them, but they made the speech easier and made it less likely for her to deviate from the point of the announcement.

"Many of you know the dangers we face. A local legend made prophecy two years ago, and we have yet to face what it's warning us. It tells us of an Apocalypse. We do not know when this time will come, and we fear it will hit us when we least expect it," Tsunade gave a dramatic pause so everyone in the crowd could internalize this information. She took a deep breath, and then continued. "But, through this fear, we must look ahead and be strong. That is why I am stepping down as Hokage. We need a stronger leader to guide us into the unknown and feared. Though, this person is very much younger than I, he has taught me so much. He has shown me to believe in one's self and to persevere through the tough times.

"The first time I saw him fight, even though the odds were against him, he refused to give up, and refused to lose. It is with that attitude we must face our fears and step bravely into the unknown. For this reason, I could think of no one better to lead us into these fearful times and help us be strong.

"It gives me great pleasure to introduce to you the new Hokage of Konoha, Naruto Uzumaki," she finished, stepping aside to let the young twenty-two year old, blond-haired, blue-eyed man walk forward. He stood at 5'10" and wore a white shirt, a pair of black capris, and an orange and black coat. His shaggy and unruly hair was barely being tamed by the shinobi headband around his head. His face beamed with a triumphant grin, his six whiskers wrinkling with satisfaction.

He turned toward Tsunade and shook her hand. The other Kages stepped forward to shake hands and show their alliance with Konoha and Naruto.

Once that was done, he walked back to the podium to start his speech. He waited for the applause of the crowd to die down first. "Thank you all for …" he didn't get to finish. Over the Hokage Mountain, an Earth shattering roar was heard. Then monstrous wings beating in a steady rhythm echoed against the sky, creating a loud booming tempo. Suddenly, a sound similar to jets flying overhead sounded as five dragons flew in a V-shaped formation. They flew over the crowd and swung back around. The dragons landed on each of the Hokage heads of the mountain. On the first was a long white dragon; the second, a purple and silver feathered dragon; on Sarutobi was a red and black dragon; the fourth held a green dragon; and Tsunade held a blue dragon that looked like the Lochness Monster with wings.

On each dragon, a woman climbed up on top of each head. On the white dragon, the woman had nearly blond hair with little streaks of light brown running through her hair, although the edges of her hair held vibrant red tips which hit her waist, but it was tied up at the moment. She wore a patterned tank top, jean shorts, and gladiator sandals. The woman next to her wore a black tank top, and worn out camouflage pants, with black combat boots. She had long wavy hair that went down to the small of her back even though hers was tied into a ponytail, and it was so dark it was almost black. The woman next to her had stick straight dirty-blond hair that had honey and wheat colored highlights that went down to the small of her back. She wore a lacy black tank top, flared jeans, and black high-heeled boots. The next woman wore a green and white t-shirt and black jeans. Her dark brown hair hit her waist. The last woman wore a blouse top, flared jeans, and dance shoes. Her hair was held back in a long, low ponytail, reaching her hips

They were all smirking, laughing a little at the gaping crowd. Then, all of them simultaneously jumped down from their dragons onto the Kage platform. They straightened themselves, still smirking at the disbelieving crowd. "Uhm…" Naruto mumbled into the microphone. He paused for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts into coherency. The dragons roared and launched off the Hokages' faces to fly towards the Forbidden Forest, leaving Naruto in a state of surprised silence. Once he recovered slightly, he turned to the crowd and said, "I want to thank all of you for coming out. Due to some urgent business, I must go. Thank you again for your support and I hope to have a good term as your Hokage. Thank you and goodbye." He walked away from the mic and over to the girls who were lightly snickering.

"Dude, you said 'Thank you' three times in repetition," Ronni giggled.

Naruto shot her an irritated expression and then stated, "Yeah, well I had an entire speech planned out, but your arrival kind of blew it out the window."

"Sorry," Lynne laughed, obviously not very sorry at all.

"Well, since you guys are here, I'll hold a small meeting in my office in ten minutes. We need to discuss testing your training as soon as possible so we can get that out of the way. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to tell my wife what's going on," Naruto stated, turning to leave them.

"Wife?" the women asked simultaneously.

Redness overtook the Hokage's face. He nervously scratched his nose in embarrassment, turning back to face them. "You didn't know?" he asked, his voice shaking a little. The women shook their heads. "Hinata and I got married a year or so ago," he stated, his blush increasing.

"AW!! NARUTO!!!" Fred squealed.

"You grew up," Lynne cooed, pinching his cheek lightly.

He frowned at the patronizing tone and growled, "My office, ten minutes," pulling away from her fingers. With that, he turned on his heel, but was suddenly flooded with Kages asking him questions about the mysterious women. He growled, his temper grown short, and stated that they were all invited to the meeting. Gaara just smirked, already knowing he was invited, considering one of the women was a genin from his village.

Speaking of said woman, he waltzed over to the Suna kunoichi and smiled. "Long time, no see," he stated.

She turned and beamed at him, giving him a huge hug. "It has been too long," She sighed, holding onto him. He pulled her away so he could study her. He couldn't believe how much she'd changed. She was a little bit taller with more matured facial features. Her body had lost the last vestiges of her teenage years, making her silhouette more stunning than before. He dragged his eyes away from her to look at everyone else. They were similar. They had all physically matured out of their childish looks and had adopted the physiques of strong grown women.

His staring made her blush a little. She cleared her throat, pulling him out of his thoughts. "We should probably get going," Cordi stated, nudging over to the stairs that led off the Hokage tower and down to the office.

"Yeah," Gaara muttered, turning around, letting the women follow him. "Lynne, I thought your hair was red," he stated, his hairless brow furrowed.

"Uhm, no," Lynne laughed. "I dyed it. I'm thinking I should dye it again …"

"Don't," they heard a cool voice answer. They turned their heads to see Sasuke had started walking behind them. He didn't look at them, and his expression looked bored already.

"Don't what?" Lynne asked. Her heart rate started to speed up, but she didn't let her expression waver.

"Don't dye your hair," he stated, still acting bored. He then looked down, making sure not to make eye contact. "The color suits you." She barely saw the red forming in his cheeks. It was more like a light pink, but she could still see it. She smirked. It didn't take a mind reader to know that he was starting to like her.

"Thank you Sasuke," Lynne stated nonchalantly, while on the inside she was practically screaming with excitement. She knew she had to play it a certain way, otherwise she would look just like the girls from his fan-club. "Now, why are you following us again?" The way she asked sounded a little short and rude, but this was Sasuke she was talking to, so she pushed her thoughts about her tone aside.

"Well, everyone who was at the original meeting is supposed to be at this meeting apparently. Although, Kiba's out on a mission, and Kankuro is busy, for obvious reasons," Sasuke stated. Lynne was just about to ask what those reasons were, but they had arrived at Naruto's office and the meeting was about to begin.

Shikamaru stood with Neji on the other side of the room in a secluded corner. They looked over and their eyes brightened; well Shikamaru's face visibly lifted while Neji just smiled. Rox ran over to Shikamaru, giving him a huge hug and laughing "Oh, It's been way too long!" He leaned back with her ferocious force as he caught her, and her feet lifted off the ground before touching back down again.

"That it has," Shikamaru laughed, patting her back and looking down at her, happiness in his eyes.

Lynne sauntered over to Neji, a wide smile on her face as she embraced. "It's nice to see you guys again!"

"Likewise," Neji smiled. Lynne saw Sasuke scowl over in Neji direction a little, but swiftly look away and ignore their conversation, maybe. Then, a dangerous, yet intriguing and ingenious idea popped into her head, and she decided to run with it.

"So, while we were away, I began to think about you, _**a lot**_," she growled seductively. She not-so-innocently bit her lip with a coy smile, and played with the collar of his shirt. The rest of the group couldn't help but gawk at them, except for Rox and Shikamaru, who were too busy talking about how much they missed each other and staring at each other in general. And then Sasuke was also not looking at them, but his face held a disgusted frown, his right eye twitching a little.

Neji bit his lip in confusion and, was it pity?Lynne wasn't quite able to put her finger on it, but she could tell Neji was hiding something. She gently pried into his mind and heard, "_If I tell her I'm gay, would she be crushed? She did try to jump me the last time we were together, and isn't the saying 'Drunk actions are sober thoughts?'" _

_Oh, this couldn't be more perfect_, she thought, smiling to herself a little. "Don't be shy. I can tell you've been thinking about me, too," she purred, running a hand through his long chocolaty hair. "Remember, I can read minds," she whispered seductively, just loud enough for Sasuke to hear.

Neji looked at her like she was crazy, until he saw Sasuke standing in the other side of the room. If he was using his Magenkyou Sharingan, Neji and Lynne might have been nothing but a pile of ash right now, his glare was that deathly. Then Neji caught onto what she was doing. None of the other girls had ever tried to make Sasuke jealous. And if she had read Neji's mind, then she knew there was no way she'd be hurting Neji because they'd be pretend-dating. Lynne could see the dawning of understanding as Neji smiled and pulled her into a huge hug. "There is no hiding from you about the matters of the heart, is there?" Neji asked in a very Fabio-like voice.

Lynne couldn't help but chuckle a "No, there isn't. OH NEJI!"

"Oh, Lynne," he sighed passionately. He pulled her into a huge kiss, tonguing and all. Both of them knew it had to be realistic for Sasuke to believe it. Meanwhile, everyone else was gawking at them in disgust. Even Rox and Shikamaru were brought out of their reveries of each other with Lynne's and Neji's antics. Sasuke was still not looking at them, but his eyes were shut tightly and a despicable frown had found its way onto his face.

"Get a room, you two!" Cordi snapped, fighting the bile rising in her throat.

They pulled away from each other, their foreheads still touching. "We really should," Neji panted.

Lynne nodded before panting, "My place 9:00. I'll have the rope ready."

"Oh, I like bondage," Neji growled before nibbling on her ear. She gasped in ecstasy and was laughing with Neji on the inside, who was howling with laughter in his mind.

"That's IT!" Sasuke snapped. He stormed over and yanked them apart. "SOME OF US would like to keep our meals, which is getting rather difficult with your PDA!" Sasuke yelled, glaring at both of them. (AN: PDA= Public Display of Affection) Lynne and Neji glared at Sasuke, forcing him to note that he was ruining the moment, which was his intention.

"Thank you, Sasuke," they heard Naruto stated as he walked into the room. "I was starting to feel my breakfast leave my stomach, and as much as I liked it the first time, I'd love to not taste it again," he stated, giving them a belittling stare as he crossed the room to his desk. The other Kages filed in after Naruto and stood beside his desk. All except Gaara, who stood between Cordi and the other Kages. "Now, we need to discuss testing your powers, now that you have finished your extensive training," Naruto stated. The women couldn't help but feel awkward with the responsible Naruto. It felt strange.

"About that," Fred started, "we found we need to put a special cap on Lynne's powers." Lynne scowled at her for bringing the subject up. Naruto's eyebrow suddenly shot up in interest as if to tell her to continue. So, Fred cleared her throat and stated, "We found that our powers aren't just making things appear out of nowhere."

"According normal Physics law, that would be impossible," Cordi stated. "Everything must come from something. I believe the technical term is the Law of Conservation of Mass and the Law of Conservation of Energy. It's basically just the Law of Conservation." Everyone looked at her strangely, making her feel uncomfortable. "Sorry, science nut," she muttered.

"Anyway," Fred continued, "so we aren't really manifesting our powers out of nothing. We're bending the elements around us. Like Cordi bends the heat in the air to make her fire. And Ronni bends the humidity in the air to pull out the water. Make sense?" Naruto nodded after processing the information. "So, obviously, Lynne's bending her spirit which is…"

"Fred," Lynne growled in a warning tone.

"Let her finish," Naruto demanded. "If there are any complications, we need to know about them," he explained, shooting Lynne a worried glare. Lynne sighed as Naruto nodded to Fred to continue.

"Well, basically, because she has to bend her spirit, some of her powers make her go slightly crazy. She becomes extremely paranoid and bipolar. It's like she becomes another person," Fred finished.

"I'm right here you know," Lynne stated in a ticked tone.

Naruto turned to Lynne and asked, "What powers would she be talking about?"

Lynne sighed and said, "Persuasion, Aura sensing, but that one not so much, Visions, and Healing. Not the basic kind of healing, which does take its toll, but the heavy, like bringing people back to life. I try to avoid that one as much as possible because it actually rips my spirit, piece by piece." She pursed her lips, and looked down in shame. Naruto, Sasuke, and Gaara eyed her with interest.

"It doesn't kill you?" Naruto asked. The last time anyone he knew had been able to bring somebody back to life, it was Chiyo Baa-sama, and the jutsu she used made her sacrifice her life for Gaara. It intrigued him that all Lynne would sacrifice is her sanity.

"No, but after I use it, I become crazy, or were you not listening?" Lynne stated, confused he didn't catch that bit.

"How crazy?" Naruto asked. Gaara couldn't believe he was asking it. Any kind of crazy was bad enough.

"Uhm, I was her first best friend," Cordi stated, raising her hand. "She brought a dead crow back to life, and later tried to kill me. Bringing back a human would be substantially more, I think."

Naruto nodded. "Puts it in perspective," he muttered. He certainly didn't want any deaths on her conscience, so he threw the idea of putting her on a team as a medical ninja out. "Alright, but we still need to test your training. In two weeks we are holding Jounin exams. I want you five to sign up, and I feel Gaara will agree with me." Gaara nodded to show Naruto was correct, looking at Cordi. "If you pass, we'll make you Jounin, obviously. If not, you'll stay chuunin. Is that fair?" Everyone nodded in agreement. "Good, now that that's settled, is there anything else we need to go over?"

"Yes," the Mizukage stated. Her voice sounded velvety and cold. "Why did you not share the wealth with these new ninjas? It definitely upsets our balance of power."

"Because they were made citizens of Konoha before their powers had manifested," Naruto explained.

"And Suna," Cordi jumped in. The other Kages frowned at this.

"So, the Wind country got an elemental, and you got four, leaving the rest of us with none?" the Tsuchikage demanded. He was a short and grumpy old man. He reminded Rox slightly of her favorite dwarf in Snow White. "You should have divided them once their powers had manifested."

"It wasn't in my power at that time," Naruto stated. "I wasn't Hokage then, if you'd forgotten. Tsunade was."

"Then why not share them now that you are?" the Raikage asked, smugly smirking. "It should be well within your power now."

"But it isn't," Naruto replied, getting annoyed with the other Kages' bickering at him. They frowned at him, obviously disappointed with his answer. "They have been Konohan ninja for two and a half years. I'm sorry, but my power is withdrawn if I make a ninja switch allegiances, making them missing nin. And I also have no influence on where they live. Because they are Konohan citizens, they live in Konoha, until they feel they should move, which if not followed with the proper protocol, which is them no longer being ninja, would result in them being missing nin. And if they are missing nin, they are no longer valuable to you, and under our treaty, you would be forced to kill them on sight. Am I missing anything?" Naruto snapped. The other Kages frowned, as if mad that Naruto was well versed on their treaty and the laws that the Kages had to abide by. Gaara, on the other hand, had a difficult time holding back a smug smirk. "That's what I thought," Naruto stated to their silence. "We are done here."

The Kages left the room, slightly peeved that they couldn't get their way, Sasuke leaving right after them. The rest of the group left after Naruto gestured to his massive pile of paperwork. Ah, the joys of kage-dom. Ronni stayed behind though to ask Naruto when Kiba was supposed to be getting back, and Fred waited for her.

* * *

Rox and Shikamaru walked down the streets of Konoha catching up on everything they had missed. "Asuma Jr. should be six now, right?" Rox asked.

Shikamaru nodded. "Very perceptive," he laughed. "Yes, Asuma is six and just joined the Konohan School of Combat … and giving poor Iruka a run for his money," Shikamaru added, laughing a little. Rox laughed at that too.

"Oh," she chuckled pitifully.

"No, he's a good kid," Shikamaru stated. "I normally pick him up after school, but it was cancelled today for the inauguration, which you girls so gracefully interrupted." Rox pretended to be hurt and gave him a light joking punch in the arm. "Ow," Shikamaru muttered, then gave her a small punch back. "You're so troublesome," he joked.

"I am not!" she laughed.

"Are, too," Shikamaru laughed. "Just because of the fact you are a woman, a troublesome woman."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were sexist," Rox laughed, giving him a small shove with her shoulder.

"Too bad you don't know any better," he laughed, giving her a small shove back, making her gasp in mock surprise.

* * *

"They will be so excited to see you," Gaara stated before reaching the door of their suite. "Especially Temari."

Cordi didn't really catch onto the last part. She was having an issue not expressing her excitement with jumping for joy. She held back a squeal as he opened the door. He let Cordi in first, helping her with her bags. Trying to get them through the door was a little more ridiculous than normal.

"Gaara, you home already?" they heard Temari call from the back. Gaara had explained to Cordi that Temari had been out grabbing some supplies for the baby during the inauguration, so Cordi wanted to surprise her. She stayed quiet as she heard Temari's footsteps approach. Temari looked up to see Cordi grinning madly, and let out a squeal, pulling Cordi into a big hug. "You're back!" she laughed, squeezing Cordi a little. Cordi could see in her periphery Kankuro walk in with a little girl on his hip, a calming smile held on his face.

The girl had the same hair as Kankuro's tied up into pigtails on top of her head. She had Temari's sparkling evergreen eyes and Matsuri's facial structure. Cordi couldn't quite see the toddler's mouth because she had her hand innocently placed in front of it. Kankuro smiled and bounced the toddle a little. "This is Yukina Subaku. Yuki, this is Cordi Turner," he introduced, smiling at the little girl. "Can you say Cordi?" Yukina eyed Cordi for a bit before shyly burying her face into Kankuro's shoulder. "Guess not," he chuckled. "So, how've you been?"

"Good," Cordi stated, smiling at the group. "Although, I've missed all you guys immeasurably." She nodded a little as she stated the last bit.

"Well what can we say?" Kankuro laughed. "We're a miserable bunch without you."

"What? With your bundle of joy? Impossible," Cordi stated, motioning to little Yukina. "I can't help but notice that Matsuri isn't with you guys. Why didn't you leave Yukina with her in Suna?" Cordi asked, not really noticing everyone taking a sharp intake of breath. All that was on her mind was that a three day trip was not something for a one and a half year-old, especially when the first two days of that trip were in the desert.

She looked around to everyone, noticing their faces went grim, and Yukina looked as if she were about to cry. Yukina burst out crying, and Kankuro rushed her to the back, trying to cheer her up. "Did I say something wrong?" Cordi asked gravely, shooting Temari and Gaara confused glances, gesturing to where Kankuro and Yukina had exited.

**AN:** I hoped you liked the new chapter. Sorry if you thought it was short. The next one should be a little longer. ^.^ ... but a little more depressing. Anyway, please remember to review!!!


	24. PART 2: Chapter 2

**AN:** Thanks for coming back! Sorry I'm a day late in updating. I had two English papers to write and a Biochem test to study for. So, it was for a good cause! ^.^

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, You make me laugh like Tres Loco.

And to Thomas Drovin, Honestly, I didn't think about that, but thanks for the idea. ^.^

And to Repentless Wind, Ah, yes. I'm excited for the Jounin exams too! They will be a lot of fun. I took a little bit from Tenth Kingdom and put it in the trials. ^.^ you should recognize it when it comes up, but that will be a little while yet.

And to Azura Soul Reaver, Thanks. ^.^

And to Gaaras1Girl, Well, I'd tell you, but I'd have to kill you. Jk. No, just read on. :D

And to princessSiyaka, Don't be mean Rox. You don't have to flaunt the fact that you edit it for me. Although, I hope you do like the end of the chapter._Editor's note (but I love being evil :) it makes life more interesting!!! Love ~ princessSiyaka/Rox)_

And to Rubyparker93, Your welcome on the your welcome on the thank you. ^.^ I sounded a bit like Jack Sparrow, did I not? And your guessing would be right.

And to Permanently Lost In Thought, It's updated! I hope you like it.

Special thanks to Permanently Lost In Thought for adding this story to your faves! WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!!! ^o^P

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill

**Chapter 2: Matsuri**

_Flashback_

_Four Months after the Prophecy Meeting_

Matsuri was eight and a half months along and felt as big as a barn, which made her moody and mad at everyone. She was sick of Gaara moping around because he missed Cordi. She was sick of Temari, who always gave her annoyed glances whenever she passed. And she was sick of Kankuro in general. The fact that her pregnancy pained her, and she was pregnant because of him piled onto her pissed-off-edness at her husband. He was useless, helpless, and ugly. Honestly, Matsuri had no idea how she had ever thought he was attractive, in the first place. Her desperate hopes were that her child didn't end up with his looks, and she wished this from the deepest chambers of her heart.

Today was officially too hot. Well, at least it was to her. It was rounding the end of December, so everyone else was somewhat comfortable in the desert. They might have been a little cold, but not much. Not Matsuri, though, oh no. It seemed so hot that she sometimes thought she was in Hell, or at least an oven.

"TEMARI!" Matsuri called down, yelling as hard as she could.

Temari, who was downstairs in the kitchen, rolled her eyes, knowing exactly what Matsuri was going to ask for. Slowly, she went to the cupboard and grabbed a glass, then lazily filled it with ice and water.

"TEMARI, GET YOUR ASS UP HERE!!!" Matsuri screamed down.

"I'M COMING!!!" Temari yelled back, a disgusted snarl ironed on her lips. Her shoulders sagged as she started to slowly walk towards the upstairs, where Matsuri was currently bed-ridden, due to the late stage of pregnancy. "That little brat should learn some patience," she mumbled to herself. Temari really missed Cordi, knowing that if she was around Cordi wouldn't take any of Matsuri's crap, and probably slap her silly if Matsuri tried anything like this.

"Temari?" Matsuri called again, but this time she sounded pained and unsure.

"Yes, what is it?" Temari asked, walking into her room, only to see Matsuri curled into a ball, breathing hard, trying to hold back a cry. She quickly set the glass down on the nightstand, and checked Matsuri. "Is it the baby?" Temari asked, rubbing Matsuri's back to calm her. Matsuri nodded her response, her eyes squeezed tightly. As soon as Matsuri could move, Temari helped her out of the bed, noticing that this was the real deal as soon as she saw the wet sheets. Suddenly, she realized the distance their house was from the hospital and cursed her luck. She'd have to help Matsuri walk a mile, which would take forever, not adding the time the contractions would eat up. "Come on, we've got a ways to go," Temari sighed.

As soon as they got outside though, Temari was practically jumping for joy. A taxi carriage sat outside at the street corner. "Sir! Excuse me, sir!" Temari yelled down to the carriage driver. He looked over at her, seeing Temari practically dragging Matsuri to the carriage, she was running so fast. "My sister-in-law is in labor. Could you take us to the hospital?" Temari asked, watching the driver's face go from confusion to serious. He nodded his head, helped them into the carriage, and as soon as they were secured, he sped off to the hospital near the center of Suna. They made it in practically record time. "Thanks for the haste," Temari told him, handing him several dollars. He nodded and helped her ease Matsuri out of the carriage, and then they were off.

It didn't take long to get Matsuri a room. As soon as the nurses at the front desk saw her, she was practically rushed into a wheel chair and sped down to the maternity ward, leaving Temari with some paperwork, which Temari filled out quickly and turned in. She followed the signs to the maternity ward, and asked the nurses there where Matsuri Subaku's room was. The nurses pointed her to a room at the end of the hall, near the family waiting room. Before entering, she created two shadow clones, and sent them to find her brothers.

* * *

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! I hate this!" Lynne sighed, slamming down an empty box of crackers. They had been stuck in the wilderness for months. The last human contact they had was at least a month ago. That was when they went to a local village to get supplies. But now it was winter, and they were huddled up in a cave with a bon fire, courtesy of the dragons. They couldn't leave the cave in case of a blizzard, which was somewhat common where they were.

It was a good thing that when they got lost, they were on their way to the Rocky Mountains , and were planning to go skiing sometime while they were vacationing, otherwise they wouldn't have been prepared with the proper clothes for the winter. Lynne was currently wearing her rabbit boots, which she special ordered from a Native American tribe in Alaska that uses all parts of the animal if one is killed. She had bought Rox a pair as a birthday present a couple years ago, which Rox was wearing. Fred was wearing her usual Uggs, while Ronni wore her old beat up pair of snow boots. Cordi never went anywhere without her boots. She had five pairs, and they were her favorite shoes to wear. She was wearing the pair of platform gray knit boots, today. They all wore jeans, and three layers of shirts to keep their vitals from freezing.

"Well, get used to it," Rox muttered, stoking the fire a little bit, only to then pick a little at her freshly cooked deer meat on a stick.

"But I can barely function like this. I can't eat anything because it's all meat …" Lynne complained, a disgusted frown plastered on her face.

"And again we state the fact 'It really pays to be vegetarian,'" Cordi stated, giving her a smug smile. She took a large chunk of meat off her stick then said, "Oh, my God, this is delicious!" laughing a little at what had just happened, knowing Lynne would think she was baiting her.

"It's not funny!" Lynne growled. "That poor animal had a family! He had a purpose!"

"Yeah, to feed us," Fred stated in a bored tone. They could hear the dragons start to laugh outside the cave. They were obviously listening in on the debate.

"That is totally barbaric!" Lynne scolded her. Fred just rolled her eyes and continued eating.

"Well, that rabbit had a family and a purpose," Ronni stated out of the blue.

"Huh?" Lynne asked, looking over at Ronni.

"The boots you're wearing. They're made of rabbit, right?" Ronni stated, gesturing with her elbow over to Lynne's boots. Lynne pursed her lips silently. "That rabbit had a family and a purpose too. What makes the rabbit any different than the deer?"

"We aren't using every last bit of the deer because we need to. We're just using it for food! It completely demoralizes its life," Lynne replied.

"You don't think stepping on a rabbit's remains demoralizes the rabbit's life?" Cordi asked, completely confused.

"Well, yeah – no – shut up," Lynne glowered, making the rest of the group laugh.

"Here, just try it," Rox offered, giving Lynne a stick with a small thing of meat.

"No, it's beneath me," Lynne stated, sticking up her nose.

"But wearing those boots isn't?" Fred asked. Lynne glared at her, then tossed off her boots and replaced them with tennis shoes.

"Humans are strange creatures, are they not?" Nessie asked the other dragons.

"You're telling me," Gryffin chuckled.

* * *

Matsuri had been in labor for hours. Kankuro had gotten there as soon as he heard his child was on the way. Gaara was a little late due to paperwork. Kankuro had been in the room with her for fourteen of the fifteen hours, cheering her on through every contraction. But when the baby started to crown, the sight made him sick and had to leave. "YOU'RE A WIMP!!! YOU BASTARD!!!" they could hear Matsuri yell at him as he ran to the closest bathroom to relieve his stomach. Gaara followed him in to make sure he was ok. It wasn't the first time she had flaunted her colorful language to her husband that day. She had been yelling at him since he arrived, telling him what an asshole he was because he did this to her.

As soon as Gaara opened the door to the Men's room, he could hear Kankuro retching in one of the stalls. He smirked and leaned against the sinks, arms crossed, waiting for his brother. "That bad, huh?" Gaara asked, biting his lip to hold back his urge to laugh. Kankuro walked out of the stall, wiping a piece of toilet paper over his mouth and shooting Gaara an annoyed glare. Gaara couldn't help but chuckle. "You know, it's strange. You can deal with dead bodies, but the birth of your own child sends you running for the lavatory?"

Kankuro frowned at him and asked, "You remember that alien clip Cordi showed us a while ago? You know, the one with the alien coming out of the stomach?" Gaara nodded, remembering the clip had made him feel slightly nauseous when he watched it. "It was a lot like that. Just more intense with the blood and guts, and the screaming …" Kankuro rambled, "not to mention the movement in the belly."

Gaara's face turned into a disgusted frown, and said, "Thanks for that beautiful mental picture."

"Don't make fun of me next time," Kankuro ordered.

"You're planning for more?" Gaara asked, a disturbed and confused expression lighting his features.

Kankuro shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know," he stated.

Gaara frowned. He never saw Kankuro with any children in the first place. Not until Matsuri got pregnant, then Gaara's view had obviously changed of his brother and fatherhood. But more than one? That didn't seem very Kankuro to Gaara at all. He shrugged the issue aside. No need to ponder on the future at the moment. "Come on. Why don't you wait with us out in the waiting room? If she's crowned, she can't be too long," Gaara asked, placing a gently hand on his brother's shoulder. Kankuro nodded, and followed Gaara out to sit with Temari. Well, not really sitting. More like pacing. It helped him focus on it rather than his nerves.

Gaara let out a small laugh at his brother's fidgeting, which earned a small glare. Kankuro then proceeded to grab a seat next to Temari, only to get elbowed to in the side. She gestured over to Matsuri's room, where Kankuro saw a nurse walking out in blood scrubs, holding a small pink bundle. Her surgical mask was down, and she was smiling at him, which calmed his nerves as he stood up and walked over to her.

"You have a baby girl, Lord Kankuro," the nurse stated, showing him his daughter.

Kankuro couldn't hold back a smile as he looked down at his daughter, gently taking her out of the nurse's arms. All he could think is that he had to have done something right to have a daughter as beautiful as her. She had a small cherubic head with silky dark brown hair on the top of her head. "Thank you," he whispered to the nurse, giving her a genuine smile, before looking down at his daughter again. He turned around to face his siblings, who were standing too, and smiling at Kankuro.

Temari was the first to approach and look at the baby. "Aw! She's so adorable!" Temari squealed, flexing her index finger in the newborn's face, and making funny faces, while cooing a little.

Suddenly, the baby started crying, making the Subakus' faces fall. Not just crying, wailing at the top of her lungs. "Temari, what did you do now?" Gaara asked in an annoyed tone, stepping forward as if to step between Temari and the baby.

"It wasn't …" Temari started, only to be interrupted by the siren announcing a flat-line. They looked up from the baby to see three doctors run bay and into Matsuri's room, where the monotonous blaring was coming from.

"Hold the baby," Kankuro ordered, handing his daughter to Temari. She took the baby, as Kankuro ran to Matsuri's room. All he could see was the flurry of doctors around Matsuri's death-like body. "Matsuri," he gasped, trying to walk over to his wife.

"HEY! GET HIM OUT OF HERE!!" one of the male doctors ordered, gesturing to Kankuro in the door way.

One of the nurses (different nurse than before) jumped to action and proceeded to try and usher him out. "Sir, you need to leave," she stated in a belittling tone.

"That's my wife in there. The HELL I'm leaving!" Kankuro yelled in her face, and tried to get around her.

She stepped in front of him, blocking his way. "Sir, I cannot permit you in here. We are trying to save you wife's life," the nurse snarled. "Go sit down."

His eyes narrowed, showing how pissed off he was at the short nurse in front of him. He calmed suddenly, realizing that now was no time to be arguing. He bit his lip and started to ask if Matsuri would be alright, but the nurse slammed the door in his face, leaving him in the hallway, feeling slightly lost and very pissed off. After standing, staring at the door for a while, he turned and sat back down, putting his head in his hands. He could feel that this was not going to end well. The wailing from his daughter didn't help a bit.

Temari tried her hardest to calm the child, bouncing a little and rocking back and forth while muttering "Sssshhhhhhhh. Everything will be alright." Though, to all of the Subaku's, the outlook was very grim, and it was obvious Temari was not persuading the baby to think otherwise. Even though Temari got her to calm down, the blare of the flat line was not going away, making all of their hearts fall slowly.

Suddenly another nurse walked out, her face grim. Kankuro stood to talk to her, Temari and Gaara right behind him. "I'm sorry," the nurse apologized, her face full of pity and sympathy. Kankuro's face was frozen, except for a tear that fell down his cheek. "There was nothing we could do for her. Her excessive pushing to get the baby out caused a large splenic artery aneurysm, which made her lose a lot of blood. A rupture like hers is rarely recovered from," the nurse explained.

All Kankuro could do was nod, trying his hardest to process the information. He didn't want her apologies. He wanted his wife. "May I go in?" he asked, holding back the flood of emotions threatening to rip his mind apart. The nurse nodded and let him pass into Matsuri's room. He walked through seeing Matsuri lying on the bed, a death-like pallor covering her skin. Her glass-like eyes were still open, looking nowhere in particular.

"Name: Subaku, Matsuri. Age: seventeen. Date and Time of death: December 29th, 2009 2:00 am," the doctor intoned, scribbling the information on a clipboard.

Kankuro grabbed a seat by her bedside, ignoring the doctor in the background. He closed her eyes, making her stare less creepy. "Just another week and you would have been eighteen," he chuckled to himself, trying to make this whole depressing situation a little better. His face fell as memories of their time together flooded his mind, and he was then hit with a reminder of her death like being hit by a truck. And just like that, he was reduced to a puddle of tears. He held onto her hand, and sobbed like a lost child. His back shuddered as he let out a harsh breath. _If only I had been there. If I had been there, this might not have happened._ He knew there was no truth to the thoughts, but placing blame on himself made him have some closure.

"Lord Kankuro?" a small voice asked. He looked up to see the nurse who had handed him his daughter standing before him. To her, he looked pitiful. She understood why, but his broken gaze made her feel extremely sorry for him and sorry that she had to interrupt his mourning. "I need the name of your daughter, sir," she explained in the same small endearing voice as when she called him.

Kankuro closed his eyes, thinking of a name. Suddenly he remembered what Matsuri always said before she had gotten pregnant. _"If I ever have a daughter, I want her named Yukina. It was my mother's name,"_ he recalled her saying time and time again.

"Yukina. Yukina Subaku is her name," Kankuro replied, his voice raspy from the sobbing. The nurse nodded, and turned away to give him his private time to mourn his wife.

* * *

"Gaara, it's been a week," Temari stated, rocking the baby back and forth. Gaara sat at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper and eating dumplings. "This can't be healthy. He hasn't come out of his room the entire time. Yukina hasn't seen her dad since she was born." She paused a little bit, waiting for Gaara to say something. When he didn't, she rounded on him and asked, "Are you even listening to me!?"

"No," Gaara stated in a bored to. Temari let out an exasperated sigh, muttering something along the lines of "men." "Look, he just lost his wife. Give him time," Gaara stated.

"Well Yukina just lost her mother. They both need each other now. He has responsibilities he's ignoring," Temari stated, gesturing to the bundle in her arms. "Here, take her. I'll go upstairs and talk to him," she said, handing Gaara the baby bundle. As soon as he had her securely, Temari walked out of the kitchen.

Gaara couldn't help but think of the fact, just a couple years ago, the thought of **Gaara of the Desert** holding a baby was such a perverse thought no one dared think about it. He saw Yukina's bright green eyes staring up at him, expectantly and curiously. As soon as he knew Temari couldn't see him, he crossed his eyes, wincing in his left eye, and stuck out his tongue. Yukina let out a giggle, making Gaara smirk. He gently placed a finger over his lips. "Sh. Uncle Gaara is supposed to be the serious stoic one," he stated, smiling a little. Yukina quieted down, giving Gaara a curious look. She was only a week old, and already so much like her uncle.

_Matsuri's death is fourth death of this family. Some higher power must want it to be just the three of us,_ Gaara thought. Then he looked down towards Yukina as she reached up for a lock of his hair. _Well, four of us, now._

**AN:** Thanks for reading! I hoped you liked this chapter. Please remember to review.


	25. Part 2: Chapter 3

**AN:** 2,500+ views. You guys make me feel so special, indeed. Sorry this one is somewhat late. This week has been hectic getting my class project prepared. At least I did really well on the presentation. I just have to say, it's getting to the end of my first semester, so I might be late a lot because of excessive work and such. So please keep that in mind. I'll still try and update every week. ^.^

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, I'm glad you found that depressing chapter comedic. For every dark cloud, there is a silver lining. ^.^

And to Thomas Drovin, Well you won't see your other suggestion come into light until much later when the timing is much better. :D And yes, Matsuri died, and Kankuro isn't completely over his grief, but he has accepted the fact he has to move on for Yukina.

And to Repentless Wind, Honestly, I don't know a lot of people that do like her. And you did call it, I'll give you that. You're pretty good with guessing what will happen. ^.^

And to Azura Soul Reaver, yeah, I'd say I have to agree.

And to Gaaras1Girl, That shouldn't deter you from it. With today's medical science, it's easily prevented. And I will say, you might like the end of the chapter.

And to GrimSpeck18, Yay! You've moved onto fish and fowl. ^.^ I could not be happier for you. Anyway, I had to put something funny in that chapter. Otherwise it'd be too depressing.

And to Rubyparker93, Actually the last chapter happened to be the average size of my chapters. This one on the other hand is 13 pages long. So be prepared.

And to dantesfreezer, Yup, I'd have to agree with you. It's great to put a crack in that stoic mask.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi belongs to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Thanks a bunch!!!

**Chapter Three: The Annual Konoha Fright Fest.**

**(Officially reached 200 pgs!)**

_THWAK!!!_

Suddenly Aneko was awake. She jumped out of her sleeping bag and huddled to a tree. On the other side of the small clearing she was in stood an old man. He wore sunglasses over his eyes and had short gray hair, a little bit on the shaggy end though. He held a walking stick in his hand as if he had just been practicing swordplay. He was wearing a simple ensemble of white ninja pants, black ninja boots, a mesh top with a black yukata type shirt over it, and a black fedora, which confused her to no end. He set his stick down and looked over towards her as soon as he heard her jump.

"I see you're awake," he said in an old and wise voice, reaching for something in his pocket.

"Who are you?" she growled, not trying to show her fear, which was slowly taking over her mind.

"It's me, Kirigi. Your partner," he laughed, his expression confused a little. And then it suddenly melted to understanding. "Ah, Aneko. We haven't met yet, but I've heard so much about you," he smiled, extending his hand.

Aneko didn't shake it, but instead asked, "Who's told you about me?"

His face held a confused expression again, and he dropped his hand to his side. "Well, Katsumi."

Suddenly fear shot through her. She recognized the name, and her body registered it as a threat, but she couldn't remember where she had heard it before. "Who?" she asked, worry seeping into her voice.

"Ah," Kirigi muttered to himself. "This … this isn't awkward at all," he laughed sarcastically to himself. "We don't really have time for me to explain everything right now, because if we don't get moving, we'll never make it to Konoha like we're supposed to. So I'll explain everything on the way," he stated, slinging his already packed bag onto his shoulders. "Oh," he said, patting his pockets, "how are you on caffeine pills?"

"Excuse me?" she asked, feeling rather offended.

His brow furrowed into a frustrated frown. He shook it off and said, "Never mind. I'll pick some up in Konoha when we get there."

* * *

The rest of the five's first day back was uneventful. They strolled around the town, re-familiarizing themselves with Konoha. Neji was walking with Lynne, an arm around her waist. Rox and Shikamaru also joined after she had dropped off her bags at her apartment. Gaara and Cordi had decided to join them after taking their own stroll as he told her about what happened with Matsuri. It was around five when they hit the town square. The sun was sinking in the sky, and soon it would disappear behind the mountains.

"What's this?" Fred asked, walking up to a huge pole, ripping a flyer down. She read the top and was silent for a minute.

"What is it?" Ronni asked.

Lynne walked beside Fred and peered over her shoulder, reading out loud, "You have been invited to the annual Konoha Fright Festival on October 31st. All bars and dance clubs will be open from 10:00pm to 3:00am for people 18 and older. Attractions beforehand include a corn maze, costume contests (divided by age groups), pumpkin carving, a Haunted Forest ride, a Haunted House, and side games. Festival begins at 5:00pm."

"Oh, that sounds like fun! We haven't had a proper Halloween since we got here," Cordi exclaimed.

"Halloween?" Shikamaru asked. "Is this another one of your world's holidays?"

"Yeah," Rox laughed. "It's where everyone dresses up in costumes and goes to parties. But since little kids can't really go to parties, like adults, they go around knocking on doors of people's homes trick-or-treating." Shikamaru, Neji, and Gaara shot her a confused look.

"Basically, as a kid you go up to someone's house, knock on their door, they open it, you say 'trick-or-treat', and voila, you're given candy. Kid's get hoards of candy on Halloween every year," Ronni explained. "Like when we were younger, we'd get several pillow-cases full candy." Gaara frowned at that, looking rather disgusted.

"What's the 'trick' part?" Neji asked.

"Oh, the older kids, if they were refused candy because they were too old, they'd play pranks on them, like egg houses, teepee the front yards, egg cars, scare the crap out of innocent bystanders sometimes," Cordi smirked.

"That," Gaara started, pausing a little before saying, "actually sounds like fun."

"You would say that," Cordi frowned at him, before locking her arm in his and saying, "Well, we need to think up costumes. It's only in three days, and I have an idea, but we'll need major shopping. I'll definitely need either a wig or spray dye. Come on, Gaara. We just need to get yours figured out."

"But …" Gaara started as she slowly pulled him away from the group towards the shops.

"If I know you Gaara, you don't have a costume yet, and I already have an idea for you anyway. So you're good," Cordi stated, still dragging him away. "We'll see you guys later," she called back to the group.

The rest of the group was really quiet and confused. "OH!" Fred squealed, scaring everyone with the sudden noise. "I have the perfect idea for mine. I gotta go back to my place and check my supplies!" With that, she darted back towards the apartment complex they lived in.

"Me, too." Ronni said. "I should go write a list of supplies I need for it. See you later." With that, she too ran back to the apartment complex.

"Well, I already know what I'm going to do," Rox stated, bored. "How about you, Shika?"

"Yup," he stated in the similar indifferent tone.

"Well, I need to think on mine," Lynne stated.

Neji then leaned over to her and whispered, "You know, this could really have good potential to make Sasuke jealous."

That really sparked her interest. "Then I really need to think on my costume. Come Neji." She offered her arm to link his with. He let out a small snort, and linked arms before walking with her off to contemplate her costume for the festival.

"So …" Shikamaru sighed. Rox pursed her lips and nodded. They were alone again. The wind blew through the square, brushing leaves along the ground. They stood there in awkward silence for a little while, scratching their nose, or scratching their neck, or just sighing in general. "Wanna grab dinner?" Shikamaru asked, getting tired of the silence.

"God, yes. I'm starving," Rox laughed. Shikamaru smiled at her as he led her over to a nearby restaurant.

* * *

The next day, Cordi dragged Gaara out to town to go shopping again. They had bought color hair spray. Now they were getting the last of the costumes: clothes, make-up, and contacts.

"You'd wear these if you were a girl, right?" Cordi asked, showing off a pair of thigh high black boots.

Gaara looked at them, frowning a little, pondering her question. "Maybe," Gaara answered. "I've never given it much thought."

"Well give it much thought now," Cordi ordered.

Gaara gave her a small glare, not liking her ordering him around. "Yeah, sure," Gaara said, not really caring.

"Oh, and I'll need that coat of yours," she stated. He furrowed his brow in confusion. "You know, the red one with the zipper. It's a trench coat." He still looked confused. She sighed in frustration, figuring she wasn't going to get very far.

Suddenly, he realized what article of clothing she was talking about. "Oh, that? I haven't worn that in years. It should be in Suna. If you let me take Aleera, I can go and get it for you," he offered. He figured she probably would have gone on her own, but he didn't really want her raiding his closet, much less his room.

"Okay, fine. But I need you to come back as soon as possible. Okay?" Cordi consented. Gaara nodded his agreement. "Alright, she's at the front gate waiting for you." He nodded, and then set out to meet Aleera, who was indeed waiting for him at the front gate. He was slightly taken aback by how big she had gotten. There was barely any space for people to walk in the front gate area.

"Alright, no funny business," Aleera stated, "I want to get in and get out. It should only take about an hour. Okay?" He pursed his lips and nodded. She obviously hadn't lost her fiery personality in the last two years. He quickly climbed up onto her back and got himself situated. Once he told her he was set, she launched into the air, flying southwest to Suna.

Meanwhile, back at the stores, Cordi unsuspectingly ran into Fred and Ronni. They both held bits of their costumes in their hands as they were about check out of the store. Ronni had a flowing white dress that would reach to her mid-thigh, and Fred had a yellowish-orange belly shirt, and green shorts, with green shoes. Cordi couldn't help but be confused and curious as to what they were going to wear for the festival.

"So, what are you two going to be?" Cordi asked innocently.

"It's going to be a surprise. So just show up and you'll find out," Fred smiled evilly. Cordi frowned. It wasn't much of a secret to her friends that she didn't care much for surprises.

"What about you?" Ronni asked, eyeing the bundle of clothes her best friend held.

"Well, if you aren't telling me, I'm not telling you. So," Cordi stuck out her tongue, very much like a petulant child. Ronni couldn't help but stick hers out back.

"I swear, you two are like little kids," Fred stated, rolling her eyes, and setting her stuff on the counter.

* * *

The rest of the week seemed to fly by, and the morning of the 31st was already here. Rox was in her room, tying her corset on. She was already wearing a cleavage showing chemise with puffy sleeves that was tucked into her tight fitting jeans. She wore knee-high high-heel boots, which she tucked her jeans into. She tied a sash with little jingle fringing around her waist. Once the main part of her outfit was done, she curled her hair into ringlets. Once finished with her hair, she tied a long bandana around her head and placed a traditional pirate's hat over. She looked at her reflection and smiled at her work.

She then heard a knock at the door, and opened it to see Shikamaru in his normal clothes with two deer antlers tied to his head. "Honestly, where's your costume?" Rox asked, eyeing his get-up.

"Well, it was too troublesome to think of an entire costume," Shikamaru shrugged. Rox rolled her eyes at the bored Nara, then joined him out in the hallway. They walked down to the square, hitting the beginning of the festival. People were still setting their stands up. Some people were putting up signs of where to go for what attraction.

"Hey, Shikamaru. You want to help us set up?" called a gruff, bored voice behind them. Both Shikamaru and Rox turned around to see Shikaku Nara, Shikamaru's father, dressed the same as his son, including the antlers, smiling at both of them. "Oh, who's you're friend?"

"Dad, this is Roxanne Turner. Rox, this is my father," Shikamaru introduced.

"Nice to meet you," she smiled, grabbing the elder Nara's hand and shaking it.

"Likewise," he replied, even though he didn't seem all too thrilled.

_Of course, that could be because he's as lazy as Shikamaru,_ she guessed.

"Would you like to help us set up," Shikamaru asked Rox, not really sure she'd say yes.

"Only if you are," Rox smiled, knowing Shikamaru would probably complain about how much of a drag the whole thing was, and that there was no point to it.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cordi was working on Gaara's make-up. He was not wearing his per-usual eyeliner today. Instead, she was covering his love kanji with base at the moment, making his scar invisible. Once she finished that, she quickly drew a small scar in the shape of a diamond in the middle of his forehead, resembling her own scar there, and then drew on eyebrows. Then she sprayed his hair a light brown and sprayed little blond streaks in. And then he placed the brown contacts they had bought the previous day.

Then it was her turn. She quickly put on her base, covering up her scar and lacquering the liquid base over her eyebrows to blend them in with the rest of her forehead. Gaara offered to help her with her eyeliner, but she refused, saying that people working around her eyes bothered her. She then applied mascara, making her long eyelashes more noticeable. Once she finished all of her makeup, she turned to Gaara with a red marker, who graciously took it, and drew the love kanji on her forehead. They sat and let it dry a bit, so it didn't smudge. Then she proceeded to hand him the red can of hair-spray. And easily enough, her hair because as red as his normally was. She quickly brushed out the sticky components of the hair so it would return to its silky texture. Right after, she placed the sea-foam blue contacts into her eyes.

Once she finished, Gaara took a good look at her and smirked. "I'd actually make a pretty hot girl," Gaara laughed.

Cordi smiled and replied, "Narcissistic much?" He just gave her a small smile, then headed out to the lounge area of the suite. Cordi followed him out only to see Temari on the couch dressed up as a genie, with little Yukina on her lap dressed as a pumpkin. "Aw, she looks so cute," Cordi cooed.

Yukina looked at both of them, then up to Temari and asked, "Temwi, where Uncuw Gaawa?"

Temari laughed, and bounced Yukina on her lap a little before saying, "Uncle Gaara just dressed up like Cordi. And Cordi dressed up like Uncle Gaara." Yukina nodded, showing she understood, but she still looked at the pair confused.

"Hey, Cordi," Kankuro said in a deep voice, right behind her.

She turned around to look at him and screamed, "HOLY SSSSHHHHIIIII-FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!" and jumped behind Gaara for protection. Gaara looked to his brother to see he had decided to dress up as a clown, a rather creepy looking one too. Gaara bit his lip to hold back a chuckle as Kankuro practically rolled on the floor with laughter.

"OH, Kami, Cordi. You should have seen your face! That was priceless! What in the world is a shif?" Kankuro laughed, wiping a tear of laughter away from his eye.

"That would be me censoring myself so Yukina doesn't start cursing!" Cordi scolded, glaring at him from behind Gaara's shoulder. "And if you ever scare me like that again, I will burn you to a crisp!"

"You have no idea how long he's waited to scare the living daylights out of you by dressing up as a clown, do you?" Gaara asked, looking at her cowering behind his shoulder.

"I'm going to guess ever since my sister mentioned it at the festival two years ago," Cordi growled, scowling at the clown. Gaara and Temari nodded, their eyes closed.

"Daddy, why you scayw Coewi?" Yukina asked, looking at Kankuro innocently.

"Because you're daddy's a mean old man!" Cordi replied before Kankuro could say anything. Yukina frowned at her father in disappointment, then shook her head. Cordi couldn't help but laugh at Kankuro's look of dismay.

"We should probably get going," Gaara stated, nodding his head towards the door. Everyone else nodded in agreement, and filed out of the suite. It didn't take them that long to reach the town square where they found Rox dressed up as a pirate, Shikamaru and Shikaku as themselves with antlers, and Ronni dressed up as an angel … with a really short dress.

Cordi shook her head at her best friend and said, "I should have known."

Ronni looked at herself, then smiled and replied, "Yeah, you really should have."

"Ok, I got everybody else's costume, except you," Rox interrupted, pointing to Kankuro and looking genuinely confused. "What are you supposed to be?" Cordi, Gaara, and Temari laughed as Kankuro gave Rox a hurt look.

"A cwown," Yukina answered, looking at Rox innocently.

Rox smirked, then replied, "I'm sorry Kankuro. I didn't realize you dressed up as yourself." Then she walked towards Kankuro and Yukina, ignoring Kankuro's gawking at her. "You must be Yukina," Rox smiled. "Wow, you really look like Matsuri," she stated, not knowing the taboo word.

Suddenly all of the Subakus became sad, and Yukina started to cry. Kankuro tried to bounce her and cheer her up, which worked a little, but she was still a little upset. "Rox, ix-nay on the Atsuri-may," Cordi whispered. Rox and Ronni gave her a confused look, and Cordi signed to them, 'Dead.'

"What?" Rox whispered to Cordi, not really understanding what had happened.

"I'll tell you later," Shikamaru whispered to her.

Rox then turned to the Subakus and said, "I'm so sorry. I had no idea." They nodded in return, understanding that it was an accident.

"Hey, have I missed anything?" they heard Fred ask behind them. They turned to see her in the strangest get-up so far. Rox, Cordi, and Ronni couldn't help but laugh, while the rest of the group looked at her strangely.

"No, you haven't, Rapheal," Cordi laughed, as Rox and Ronni were holding their stomachs, they were laughing so hard.

"What are you?" Shikaku asked, giving her the strangest look of the group.

She looked down to her green painted legs and green shoes, her green shorts, her yellowish-orange belly-shirt, green arms , and the green shell like thing on her back. She wore a brown belt holding two sword-like weapons. Her green painted face looked up to the group eyeing all of them. Her hair was spray dyed green to match her skin, and she had a red band with two slits over her eyes. "I'm a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle," Fred smiled. The part of the group that wasn't rolling on the floor laughing cocked an eyebrow up in confusion.

"Turtle, turtle," Rox giggled, quoting the movie Master of Disguise, before falling into another fit of laughter.

"Next time," Ronni rasped, "We'll dress like them together."

Fred smiled, and then asked, "What about Lynne?"

"She can be Master Scratch," Cordi grinned, thinking about how they would look when they dressed like that.

"Who can be Master Scratch?" They heard Lynne ask. They all turned to see her dressed in provocative ancient Greek garments. Her hair was done up in three gold bands, and her skin was adorned with gold glitter. She had her arm linked with Neji, who dressed up as a Native American chief-tan. He had a huge head-dress of feathers, and he wore no shirt, showing off his muscles and hand print war paint he put on the left side of his chest. He wore tan pants and moccasins. And Sai was on her other side, wearing normal ninja clothes. She already knew the answer to her question and smiled. She took a look at Fred, then bit her lip, holding back a grin. "I figured you to go as either Michealangelo or Leonardo. Not Rapheal. Then again, Cordi's more likely to dress up like Michealangelo, and Ronnie, Leonardo," Lynne stated with a shrug.

Fred nodded, then asked, "So, Aphrodite?"

"Well, I figured since I'm Greek and into history, why not? And she is the Goddess of Love," Lynne laughed, showing off the two boys on her arm.

Everyone frowned at her showing their disproval, but then the other four best friends nodded in understanding. "Hey, you're supposed to be in costume, Sai," Cordi stated.

"I am," he replied, giving everyone a creepy smile. "I'm a ninja."

The five friends frowned at him. "You're no fun," Ronni stated.

"Come on, it looks like the attractions are opening up," Cordi said, starting to walk over to the corn maze. Gaara's old trench coat fit her rather well the way she wore it, and it swished around her legs as she walked. She had it unzipped to below her bust line, wearing netting and a black tube top underneath. His old vest pushed her boobs up more, acting somewhat like a corset. She wore black legging tucked into mid-thigh high, high-heeled boots, which she tied brown bands on. Her red hair blew in the wind as she started to run towards the maze to beat the line. "Last one there's a rotten egg!" she yelled over her shoulder, seeing others start to race.

As soon as they got there, the person opening the maze told everyone that they had to be in groups of two or three. Cordi and Gaara grabbed hands and started first. Rox and Shikamaru were second to go. Lynne, Neji, and Sai were third.

"I call Temari!" Ronni laughed, pulling Temari over towards the entrance.

"Ronni! What … ?" Fred called to her sister confused.

"Like I wanna get stuck with you!?" Ronni called back to her. "As if!" And she and Temari started their trek through the maze.

Kankuro pursed his lips as he watched his sister and Fred's sister walk through the entrance. He saw Fred gawking at the entrance, completely confused. "Why don't you walk with us?" Kankuro offered, putting Yukina on the ground so she could walk.

"Thanks. I'd like that," Fred replied, still kind of mad her sister abandoned her. And then they proceeded through the entrance.

* * *

Gaara and Cordi had been walking around the maze for a few minutes, taking a few random runs here and there. It was quiet for the most part, not counting the crunching of their feet hitting the ground or the wind rustling through the corn stalks.

"I know now," Gaara stated, looking down at his feet.

"Know what?" Cordi asked, giving him a confused look.

"How I feel about you," he stated, as if it was obvious. "Remember before you left, you told me not to talk to you until I knew how I felt? I know now."

"Look, Gaara. I was just mad at the time. Really –," Cordi said, trying to brush it off.

"No. I need to say this," Gaara stated, stopping their walk. She stopped, too, and turned to him. "These past two years have been hell without you. I needed you so much during the whole Matsuri deal, that I hadn't realized how much I really needed you around just in general until after you left." He stopped and bit his lip, getting his thoughts in order. "When you left, for weeks I couldn't sleep, because I was worrying about you constantly. A huge space in my heart felt like it was ripped out. But that night we had – well, you know when we got drunk, I have to admit made me feel whole. And when you returned, I could feel the hole in my heart heal. And it took me a while to understand what it was. So, to answer your question two years ago if I have feelings for you, the answer is yes. I should have realized I had them when we kissed at Kankuro's party to save my ass. But I was blinded by how hurt I was by Matsuri.

"I understand if you don't have – ," Gaara started, but was interrupted as Cordi pulled his face against hers into a long and passionate kiss. He couldn't help but smile and deepen it.

* * *

"Come on, this way," Shikamaru ordered, pulling her into another turn. They had been running through the entire maze. Well not so much running as Shikamaru was dragging her through it at his high ninja speeds. Honestly, Rox felt like her arm was going to rip off at any moment, or her legs were going to give way.

"But Shikamaru…. we should have… gone that way," Rox wheezed, pointing the other direction in the fork. She was nearly out of breath, but they slowed down fast enough for her to catch it.

"Rox, I helped design this corn maze. I do believe I know my way around," Shikamaru stated, just before leading her into a dead end.

She frowned at the wall of corn stocks in front of her. "You fail at life," she remarked in a bored tone, showing disapproval in her expression.

"Would you believe me if I told you I just wanted to be alone with you?" Shikamaru asked seductively.

"No," Rox laughed. "Because you'd just say that as an excuse for why you didn't do as well as you hoped."

Shikamaru frowned, muttering, "Troublesome woman. Okay, look, if you peer through that wall, you'll see the exit on your right." Rox gave him a confused look. "Go ahead, look." So she did, only to find that he was telling the truth.

"Well, why did you want me alone?" Rox asked.

"Because then I can do this without my mom shrieking at me," Shikamaru laughed, leaning in giving her a small kiss. She smiled and kissed him back, sliding her tongue over his lips. They were smooth, but his kiss was rough, but tender and loving at the same time.

Suddenly, Rox's mind latched onto something and asked, "Why would you mom be shrieking at you about kissing me?"

Shikamaru's shoulders dropped, and he pursed his lips, frowning a little. "She doesn't like me dating girls from other countries. And I'm betting that includes you considering you're not even from this world," he replied.

Rox couldn't help but smile. "You know, some girls in my world would actually say your hitting on me," Rox smirked, closing the space between them again.

"Well, truthful flirtation's my thing," Shikamaru smirked before kissing her again.

* * *

"Daddy?" Yukina asked, tugging on Kankuro's hand. He looked down at her innocent face.

"Yes, honey?" he replied, kneeling down to get at her eye level.

"W – we wost?" she asked, her big green eyes shining up at him.

"No, we aren't lost, honey," he laughed. He then promptly looked around for a turn he wanted to make. They had been in this corridor of vegetables long enough for his tastes. He stood back up and pointed to a turn and said, "This way." They proceeded to stroll through, making sure Yukina didn't run too far ahead.

"Why'd you lie to your daughter?" Fred asked in a hushed tone.

"Because I'd rather her not start wailing that we're lost in a maze," Kankuro stated. Fred looked taken aback by this. "And she would. Trust me, she would. No, it's best to keep her out of it and enjoying the mystery of a labrynth." He held his hands up, and gestured to all around them.

Fred smiled and said, "You're a good father."

"Thanks," Kankuro sighed. "From what I see, you'd most likely make a good mother."

"Nah, you're just saying that," Fred brushed off, shaking her head in disagreement.

"Not many women squat down with a two-year-old and play with bugs and other critters," Kankuro pointed out.

"That's only because spiders aren't in season," Fred joked.

"Well, you also kept Yukina very entertained while I figured out directions," Kankuro added. "That is a very maternal thing to do." Fred shrugged.

"Daddy, Daddy!!! Temwi!!! Temwi!!!" Yukina squealed to Kankuro, who looked up to see her at the end of the path.

"Who's Temwi?" Fred asked, a little confused.

He kept an eye on Yukina as he answered Fred. "Temwi is how she pronounces Temari, because she can't really pronounce her Rs." Then, Yukina noticed the picked up their pace a little to catch up with her, and she went running around the turn. "Y-Yukina!" Kankuro gave an exasperated sigh, running after his daughter with Fred on his heels.

Once they made their turn though, they saw Yukina running to the village square, where the Festival was well underway, into the arms of her aunt. "Your daughter just found the way out," Fred laughed, patting Kankuro on the back. "Must get it from Temari," she smirked, leaving Kankuro dumbfounded.

She walked out of the maze to join her sister and Temari, only to find Naruto, Hinata, and Sasuke had joined the group waiting for them to get out. Naruto and Sasuke both had cowboy get-ups. Naruto had light brown leather chaps, a white shirt with orange fringing, and orange handkerchief, and a light brown cowboy hat. Sasuke wore a similar get-up, except he had black chaps, an open black shirt with white lining, showing of his pale muscular chest, a black handkerchief, and a black cowboy hat. Hinata wore the basic cowgirl outfit with the brown suede skirt and vest, with a blue button-up shirt underneath, and a brown cowgirl hat. They all had cowboy boots, only one different was Sasuke's, because his were black.

"Howdy," Fred smiled evilly at them

"What's up?" Sasuke replied, not really taking interest in her.

"What are you supposed to be?" Naruto asked, giving her outfit a strange look. So Fred again began to explain what a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle was to the new Hokage, who seemed completely intrigued that we had such strange shows in our world for entertainment. Suddenly, they heard Sasuke huff and stalk off. Fred and Naruto gave where he was standing a strange look, then turned toward the entrance to see Lynne had just walked out with Neji and Sai on both arms, laughing and flirting with them.

Five minutes later, Rox and Shikamaru joined them, smiling cheerily. Then fifteen minutes after that, Gaara and Cordi joined them, also smiling, but they were holding hands.

* * *

The rest of the night seemed to fly by, and soon enough it was almost eleven o'clock. Kankuro had hired Konohamaru and his gang to watch over Yukina for the rest of the night at around eight, as it was her bed-time. For the costume contest, Fred won the most creative award, and Cordi and Gaara received the Trickster award. Yukina and Rox had won the most traditional award in each of their age groups.

After ten, though, everyone had either gone back to their homes, or moved into the bars. Their entire group had been able to get into one dance club, which they were happy about. But that was pretty much the easy part, considering two of their group were the Kazekage and the Hokage. Now they just had to stay together, which proved to be slightly more challenging. Soon enough, they all got tired with trying, and broke off into smaller groups of two to four, similar to the ones they had broken up into for the maze. Except Fred, Ronni, Kankuro, and Temari were talking with Naruto and Hinata. Nobody had seen Sasuke since he had disappeared after the maze.

Lynne chatted with Neji and Sai, wondering how long they could keep up this whole ruse to get Sasuke jealous. Both of them shrugged their indifference on the subject. She frowned at them, then said, "I need to use the bathroom. Please, excuse me." With that, she walked off towards the back of the club, where someone hiding behind a wall dragged her to the side. "What the F –." She was cut off as a hand covered her mouth.

"Why?" she heard a familiar voice ask. She looked up to see Sasuke's onyx eyes staring right back into her blue ones. "Why are you making me feel this way? I have never wanted to tear Neji limb from limb until I saw you two fawning over each other the other day." He removed his hand from her mouth, and pinned her against the wall in a threatening pose. "I want you to tell me why? Why have I never cared what other girls around me did? Until I met you."

"Well," she smirked, "the second part I can't explain. But why am I making you jealous you ask?" He glared at her, knowing she had been tricking him a little the entire time. "How else am I supposed to get you to realize your feelings?" A victorious smirk crawled onto her face, knowing she had got him to realize his feelings to himself finally.

Suddenly a blood curdling scream was heard throughout all of Konoha. It's eerie ring caused everyone to walk outside to see what was going on. A girl ran in from a nearby forest, covered head to toe in blood, screaming at her hands. "HELP ME!!! SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!!" she screamed. Sakura, Naruto, Gaara, Shikamaru, Rox, Cordi, Lynne, Fred, and Ronni sprang into action to try and calm her down. Sasuke, Neji, Sai, and Kankuro weren't far behind, looking out for whatever made her scream like that.

The girl had black hair with red streaks, and eyes two different colors. The brown at the moment seemed more vibrant, but no one was really focusing on that right now. Sakura embraced her trying to calm her down.

"It's ok, you're safe now. You're safe," Sakura repeated. "W-what's you're name?"

The girl looked up, tears flowing from her eyes, and she replied, "Aneko."

**AN:** . cliffie. Yeah, so remember to review! Thanks!


	26. Part 2: Chapter 4

**AN:** 3,000+ views. I love you guys. You're just AWESOME!!! Thanks for being so patient with me. I know it's been over a month, and I'm pretty sure a lot of you wanna kill me. But here's what happened, so you understand my reasoning. Okay, I told you I was sick, well it's safe to say I had mono. So I was way too tired to write a chapter for a month, considering I couldn't get a pass for classes except for PE, =.=0 Then, when I finally got over it, I had finals. I know. So when I actually had internet and was well, I was too busy with studying. Then I got to go home, but I don't have internet here because our wireless broke. So now we've either gotten our router fixed or I'm mooching of someone else to load this up. So I hope you'll forgive me with this awesome chapter I wrote for you guys. ^.^ I want to thank all of you guys who have been reading along with me and waiting for this new chapter. And to everyone who wished for my good health, thanks a lot. It really helped me get better.

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, I'm really glad you liked it. ^.^

And to Thomas Drovin, You're feeling would be correct. ^.^

And to Repentless Wind, Yeah, sorry for the cliffie without updating in a while. I just want to say, not my fault though. ^.^ And I'm sure you're gonna love this chapter. ^.^

And to Azura Soul Reaver, Of course she does. She's the only one who can. ^.^ Ain't that right, Grim Speck?

And to Gaaras1Girl, Kankuro should come to his senses soon. YAY romance. But I'm gonna put that part of the story on the back burner for a little while. You'll know why. ^.^

And to GrimSpeck18, I've decided to write you a special Christmas gift. I know mine will be your favorite of this year.

And to Setsuna Noyamano, I do plan to continue with it. If I don't my closest friends have already threatened to take my life. ^.^ And the plot is already completely typed up, so I if I stop, my sis can continue if she chooses. ^.^ Although, it'll probably be more ANGST!!!!

And to dantesfreezer, When I read that, I was like O.O, because I haven't heard that quoted since sophomore year. It was a huge joke in my class.

And to Rachel, I'm very happy you think so. And yeah, Neji just gives off that gay vibe to me.

And I don't have my list anymore of new favoritors, but I wanna welcome you guys to the group. ^.^

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi belongs to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Thanks a bunch!!!

**Chapter Four: Aneko/Katsumi**

Tsunade walked out of the hospital room, rubbing the sweat off her brow. Why were there always weird hospital cases during the Konoha Fright Festival. It was her least favorite time of year, being a doctor. Last year someone came in from being mauled by a wolf, and the night had held a full moon. The year before that, a man was shish-kabobbed with a wooden stake from his wife's Halloween costume, which was a vampire hunter. After that instance, she had told the man to make a mental note not to tick his wife off again. But this was her first time having a patient in the mental ward for this night.

"Do you know what is wrong with her?" Sakura asked her teacher. The rest of the group had gone home due to how late it was. Not many of them wanted to stay up past 3:00 in the morning.

"Well, we got her cleaned up," Tsunade started. "The blood she was covered in was animal blood, not her own. And she's really tormented by this Katsumi girl. Whoever she is, we need to keep her away from Aneko. I want security detail surrounding the village. I don't want this Katsumi girl getting in."

"Yes ma'am," Sakura nodded. "Who should I give the orders to?"

Tsunade paused, and looked down to the floor in thought. "Kakashi Hatake, Neji Hyuuga, Hinata Hyuuga, and Sasuke Uchiha. And warn Gaara, he might want to help with the security. But be sure to run it by Lord Naruto first. Him being Hokage now, he needs to make the final decision."

Sakura nodded, then headed out to fulfill her duty. It didn't take her long to find Naruto, Kakashi, Sasuke, Neji, and Hinata. She just went to the Uzumaki Household, and voila, they were there having evening tea before they all turned in. As were Gaara and Cordi. "Ah, everyone I need is here," Sakura sighed with relief. She admired her stroke of luck. She then explained the orders from Tsunade to the leaf-nin and the Kazekage. Throughout the entire explanation, Naruto kept a straight face, nodding along to show Sakura that he was following along. "What do you say, Lord Hokage?"

"Please, Sakura. We've been friends for eleven years. You can call me Naruto," he stated, rolling his eyes a little at his friend's over-politeness.

"As for the security detail," he continued, "I completely agree. Kakashi, I want you at the North Gate, take Fred with you for assistance if this Katsumi shows up. Neji, you'll be stationed at the East Gate. Take Roxanne with you for the same reason. Hinata, take the West Gate with Ronni…"

"Naruto, if I may," Gaara started, leaning forward in his seat, "since Suna is to the west, I would like to patrol that gate, incase anything happens towards that direction, since it is possible to see the desert from there."

Naruto nodded his reply. "Alright then, Hinata you will take Gaara with you…"

"And me," Cordi replied. Gaara and Naruto furrowed their brows at her. "If I'm right, you were going to have Lynne watch the South Gate with Sasuke." The Kages' nodded their heads, agreeing with what Cordi said. "Well, I am also a part of that group, and from Suna. It only stands to reason that I watch the West Gate with Gaara. Send Ronni with Neji instead, so the protection detail is still balanced.

"Not quite," Gaara corrected, thinking about the north and south teams being short one. "Kankuro will go with Kakashi and Temari will go with Sasuke. Now it's even three man teams."

Naruto nodded, then turned back to Sakura and stated, "I want you to find Shikamaru, and have him bring the Kages still in the village waiting for the Jounin exams in a couple days to meet in my office. I need to warn them about the possibility of an attack, and should an attack happen, to remain calm and level headed, which I have no doubt they can do." Sakura nodded then walked out to find Shikamaru. He then turned to the rest of the group and said, "Gather your teams, then set out." They all nodded, then left the Uzumaki household making haste.

* * *

Kirigi ran swiftly and soundlessly through the quiet village. Everyone in Konoha had to either be asleep or getting ready for bed, it was so late. It was the perfect time for stealth without being conspicuous or being seen. His training as a young ninja was very useful for times like this. He knew exactly how to keep in the shadows and basically not exist.

He jumped onto the lower roof of the Hokage building, just behind the "Fire" sign. The windows to the Hokage's office ran along this roof. Quietly, his old legs carried him along the thin strip of rooftop to the Hokage's office. Easily, he slid the big window to the office open and crawled nimbly through. He ran a hand over the desk of the recent Hokage, feeling tons of papers littering its top. Kirigi fingered through them hoping the information he was searching for was somewhere in the pile of papers before him. He cursed to himself when he couldn't feel what he was searching for and slapped the desk. Where could it be?

"I'm sorry for calling you all in so late tonight, but …" Kirigi heard coming from a couple yards down the hall. He cursed again, running his hands quickly over the papers again for anything useful. Suddenly, his hands ran over a file on the desk labeled "Aneko." Kirigi couldn't help but grin at his luck. Most likely what he wanted was in the archives. He quickly snatched the file and snuck back out the window, closing it silently.

Naruto opened his office door, standing to the side, letting the other Kages go first. For some odd reason, the other three kages of the five major kages had stayed for the Jounin exams in a couple days. All three looked at Naruto with the same expression: confusion, anger, and a hint of worry. All of them were still in their pajamas, but had put robes on to look decent.

"What is it you needed to tell us?" the Mizukage asked, obviously tired.

"There is a possibility that there might be an attack," Naruto stated, making the other Kages' brows rise in interest. "A young woman in hysterics by the name of Aneko ran in during the festival earlier this evening if you haven't heard. Apparently she was in her condition because of a woman going by the name Katsumi. We are on guard if Katsumi tries to infiltrate in order to get at Aneko again. If she does attack, I want you to stay calm and help us capture her if she comes across your path. Is that understood?" The other kages nodded in understanding.

Then the Tsuchikage stepped forward and stated, "I think I know of this Katsumi you speak of. There was a young woman a couple years back who murdered her entire family with a butcher's cleaver – hacked them to bits. When she was arrested, originally she acted scared and said she had no idea what was going on. But when she was being brought in, she suddenly turned dark, throwing everyone around. She became abnormally strong. We put her in chains and interrogated her. It didn't take long for her to tell us how she did it in graphic detail. She was a complete sadist. When we asked for her name, she said, 'Katsumi. May you fear it forever.' Then, with a sudden burst of energy, she broke the chains and escaped. No one has seen or heard of her ever since. Well, at least not until now. We figured she gave us an alias."

Naruto, intrigued and horrified by the story, asked, "This Katsumi. What did she look like? I need to tell the watch so they can know who they're looking for."

"She had black hair with red streaks, a vibrant left blue eye and a dead right brown eye. Otherwise she looked normal," he stated.

The description got Naruto thinking at full tilt. "Is it possible this Katsumi could be related to Aneko? The description is spot on except for the eyes."

The Tsuchikage thought for a bit, then said, "It's possible, but not probable. We researched the family later. There was a daughter by the name of Aneko, but we couldn't find her, and there was no picture in her file. And no one by the name of Aneko came and requested information on their family." Naruto nodded at the information given. They'd just have to ask Aneko themselves.

* * *

Kirigi made his way down to the basement, shedding his black cloak and hiding it in a storage room, grabbing a leaf-nin head band on his way out. He walked down towards the archive's door, tying the head band around his head. He swung it open, holding Aneko's file presently in his hands.

"Yes? How can I help you?" a man asked. He had a gruff voice, but it was a nice tone.

"Oh, I was asked to run this down and file it," Kirigi lied convincingly, handing over the file towards the man. "I was also asked to bring up the prophecy of the five girls?"

"Oh, you mean the Legendaries?" the man laughed, taking Aneko's file. Kirigi looked confused. He had never heard of that name before. "That's what we call them here in Archives. It's because the power they were gifted with is of legendary proportions. I mean, how many people do you know of that would be able to stop an apocalypse?" The man had continued talking while he walked away to file Aneko's information. The footsteps paused for a bit as he put away the file, then continued back, pausing for a little bit again, then proceeded to come back towards Kirigi. "It's can't be morning yet, is it?"

"No," Kirigi stated, showing his confusion again. "Why?"

"Well, what's with the sunglasses?" the man asked, placing the prophecy's file in Kirigi's hands.

Kirigi couldn't help but smirk as he replied, "It keeps the moonlight from hurting my eyes. Thank you."

"You're welcome," the man said as Kirigi walked away.

_What a dunce,_ Kirigi smirked.

* * *

"Do you have a picture of this Aneko?" the Tsuchikage asked as soon as the other kages had dismissed themselves. They had been talking for about fifteen minutes, discussing where everyone would be in case of an attack.

"Uhm, yeah," Naruto replied, thumbing through the papers on his disorganized desk. It wasn't there. He became frantic. _Where the heck could it be?_ Hiding his anxiety, he nervously smiled to the Tsuchikage and said, "I seemed to have misplaced it at the moment." The other Kage did not seem pleased in the least bit. "Why don't we go ahead to the hospital? She's being held there for the night because she hasn't had her psychological testing done yet," Naruto offered, walking around his desk. The Tsuchikage agreed with that, and joined him for a walk down to the hospital.

* * *

Aneko sat in her room at the hospital, holding her knees close to her chest. She quietly rocked herself back and forth, keeping herself as calm as possible. She knew if she was to keep Katsumi locked away, she needed to stay in the hospital, a place full of tranquilizers and sedatives incase she got out. Her mental state would be tested tomorrow, and they would find Katsumi during the test. She was sure of that.

Suddenly, her door opened, dragging her attention from her menacing thoughts to the person entering her room. She saw the old man with the fedora and sunglasses step through and shut the door quietly. "Aneko?" he whispered, setting his walking stick against the chair at the end of her bed.

She took a quick breath, then started to scream. It was quickly drowned out with the old man's hand over her mouth, and his other arm holding down her shoulders, completely pinning her to the bed. "Now, now. We don't want to wake the orderlies, do we?" he asked. Aneko's eyes were full of fear, but she stayed still. "That's what I thought," he stated. Aneko's heartbeat increased, and he smiled. "Are you scared," he asked in a harsh whisper? She nodded her head, tears starting to brim her eyes. "Good, be scared. Let that feeling take over your mind," he smiled. What he said didn't get the desired effect, so he then added, "Or I'll kill you for wasting my time." Her heartbeat quickened, but not to the rate he wanted. "Maybe a good rape is in order before, though," he offered in a husky whisper. There. Her right eye suddenly lost its luster, but the left eye gained its.

"Get off me, Kirigi," she growled, then muttering, "You blind bastard."

His grin widened, and he did as she ordered. "Nice to have you back Katsumi. Here are your adrenaline pills. Please, for my sake, remember to take them. I don't think I can handle your whiny alter-ego again," he stated.

"Do you have something better to dress me in, or am I forced to wear this hospital gown out?" Katsumi asked, her short temper flaring a bit.

"Here," he stated, tossing her a bag, which he had hidden well under his jacket. She quickly sifted through it, pulling out a black form-fitting t-shirt that had a red armored breast plate and black yoga pants. She quickly strapped her usual black boots on, then pulled out her black cloak with red clouds decorating it. She wore it like a light jacket, over her shoulders and arms, but left unzipped. She slung her bag over her shoulder easily. Kirigi had put his cloak on meanwhile, then waited for her to finish. "You know, I've already got the main part of the mission finished. You think we have time for the jinchuuriki?"

Katsumi smiled, pulling out her favorite butcher's cleaver and twirling it around in her right hand, and replied, "I haven't gotten to fight yet. Being suppressed by that whelp's conscience for a day has me wanting to blow of some steam. Why not?"

"I can't let you do that," they heard a woman say. They both looked to the doorway to find Lady Tsunade standing there, glaring at them.

"Go on ahead. I can take her," Kirigi stated, grabbing his walking stick and taking a step forward. Katsumi smirked, nodded, and then dove out the open window by her bed. "Why Lady Tsunade, what an honor it is to finally meet you in person. But, I must say, you won't do so well without that diamond on your forehead that held your chakra supply. Do tell, what happened to it?" Kirigi smiled.

"None of your business," she hissed.

Katsumi landed nimbly on the sidewalk, then stood up to find the Hokage and the Tsuchikage standing right before her. She smiled and purred, "My my, you're quite easy to find, my little jinchuuriki."

Naruto shot her a confused look, taking in all of her. The Tsuchikage looked as afraid of her as he had been last time. "Aneko, what's going on?" Naruto asked, eyes narrowed in confusion.

She let out a hauntingly creepy laugh, then stated, "I'm sorry. Aneko's not here at the moment." She brought out her right hand, flourishing the butcher's cleaver, admiring its shine in the moonlight. "My name is Katsumi."

**AN:** I hoped you found this chapter as awesome as I did as I was typing it. I couldn't help but be excited. ^.^ I know, not a lot of the main characters, but as you can see, everything is setting in motion. ^.^


	27. Part 2: Chapter 5

**AN:** Holy Crap. +4,000 views!?! You guys are the most awesome audience ever, thanks! I'm sorry this one is so late. I was trying to get this out around Christmas, but we see how that turned out. ^.^0 Truth be told, I got writer's block this time. I hate writing action scenes just because of that. I've been in a fight, so how the fight goes on in my head is very difficult to identify and put to words for me. Oh well. And the next chapter is almost finished, considering that one was already half written, so that should be up soon.

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, Glad you're excited. ^.^

And to Thomas Drovin, Haha, she is probably the one who wears the pants in the partnership, yes. ^.^

And to Repentless Wind, Well, I hope I don't disappoint you with this one. But there should be some good action in this one.

And to Azura Soul Reaver, Thanks.

And I to my fav.+ and alerts+, TheEnchantinNinjaPenguin, nightshadow04, todo-mahem, sesshoumarusmate54, 102oceanblu, and grayRay, I wanna welcome you guys to the group. ^.^

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi belongs to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Thanks a bunch!!!

**Chapter Five: And So It Begins**

_You see anything?_ Fred asked Cherokee. Each of the girls had set their dragons out to help look for this Katsumi. A message had been sent to each of the groups of what she should look like, but the description set uneasiness about all of them. Kakashi, Gaara, Sasuke, and Neji had all been given head sets to keep up communication between them since they were all so far apart.

_No,_ Cherokee answered. _I'm starting to think she's not out here, that this Aneko girl was just spooked by a memory._

_Maybe_, Fred replied.

"What'd she say?" Kankuro asked.

"She hasn't seen her," Fred answered. Kankuro and Kakashi nodded and looked away. "Cherokee and I are starting to think this Katsumi isn't really here." They turned back towards her, giving her a strange look. "Haven't you guys ever had a nightmare or a reoccurring memory that scared you out of your mind? I know you have, Kankuro, so don't lie," she pointed out just as he was about to say no.

"Gaara says he has," Kakashi replied stoically, obviously hearing him say it over the radio.

"Well, that one was a no brainer," Fred stated sarcastically. "Why else would he be an insomniac for sixteen years?" Kakashi looked down, biting his lip.

"So, you're saying that Katsumi is in her mind?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes!" They heard a girl over the head set say. Kakashi was holding the ear piece away from his ear in pain. "That explains the whole situation on so many levels!"

"What do you mean?" Fred asked.

"It means, I think Katsumi is literally in Aneko's mind. When I saw her, I could sense that the main part of her was beyond scared, maybe even flighty. But I also sensed that there was an underlying darkness, like she was suppressing something. And think about the description. It's exactly like hers, but her brown eye is livelier than her blue one," Lynne stated.

"Are you suggesting she's like a jinchuuriki?" Gaara asked incredulously.

"Not necessarily," Lynne stated in an unsure tone. "I was told it was possible I had that disorder when I was little, but instead I was told I'm just bipolar." Suddenly she went quiet, then added, "Why can't I remember the name of it? It's right on the tip of my tongue. Oh my God, what the Hell?"

"Multiple Personalities?" Cordi asked. "Don't give me that look," she growled, obviously to Gaara.

"That's the one!" Lynne exclaimed. "What if Aneko is the main personality? She's quiet, sweet, and wouldn't harm a fly. Then you have Katsumi, this evil version of Aneko, every dark thought she had coalesced into this darkness that Aneko has no idea about. It's possible she had seen Katsumi's damage, but didn't know who was doing it, until now. And that's what's haunting her! It's like a modern day Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde."

"I'm still confused. How is this different from a jinchuuriki?" Gaara asked. "Wouldn't Katsumi be a demon, like the Kyuubi or the Shukaku?"

"And who the heck are Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde?" Kankuro asked.

"No," Cordi stated over his question. Fred sent him a sorry look and said she'd explain later. "She's still completely human. This just happens because of a mutation in the DNA creating chemicals in the brain, forcing thoughts and personalities. One of the personalities isn't forced into one person, like a jinchuuriki. It's created by the person it inhabits. Aneko most likely has all the same powers as Katsumi, she just doesn't use them or doesn't know they exist. Also when one personality is in control, the other one has no idea of what's going on. It's like the other personality is in a coma or doesn't even exist. So when Aneko is in control, Katsumi has no idea what's going on, and vice versa, unlike a jinchuuriki, because the demon is able to see and comment on what's going on at the moment," She finished explaining, taking a deep breath.

"And to answer your question, Kankuro," Roxanne entered, "They are characters in a famous book in our world. Dr. Jekyl was a scientist who created this serum, and tested it on himself, accidentally transforming him into this grotesque version of himself called Mr. Hyde. Although, the serum he used gave him super strength and a nasty habit of killing things."

"Thanks," Kankuro replied, smiling at the slightly disappointed Fred, who just shrugged.

"That's great and all, but that means Katsumi is in the hospital, and we're on guard for nothing," Neji stated over the line.

"Well, she might not be awake at the moment," Lynne replied.

"RASENGAN!!!" they heard from the center of the village, followed by a loud boom, turning all their attention back towards the center of town.

"I'm gonna guess she's awake and the fight's already started," Kakashi stated ironically. The rest of the groups had already jumped off their perches and ran towards the hospital.

* * *

"Are you missing me on purpose?" Katsumi laughed, standing right behind him.

_How the Hell did she get so fast?_ Naruto asked himself. She was dodging each of his precision based attacks, which was nearly impossible for the average ninja. She wasn't even supposed to be a ninja in the first place. How the hell did she acquire all of these abilities? He saw her take out a small pill, then pop it quickly in her mouth.

She flourished her knife again, letting it sparkle in the moonlight. She gave him a maniacal smile, then said, "My turn now." She launched forward, slashing at him. He quickly jumped back, barely dodging her blow. A loud boom in Aneko's hospital room distracted him enough for her to slice his face slightly. "That's for not paying attention to me," she hissed, smirking at his surprised face.

* * *

"Your form is completely deplorable," Kirigi informed, looking at the hole that was the wall. He swung his walking stick like the thin switch it was against her back as she turned around, making blood well up on her skin.

Her age was catching up to her. She had used up all her chakra without rest that day from normal hospital procedures. He also had broken her left shoulder, rendering that arm useless, with her own technique, already. He charged his walking stick several times when swinging it, breaking several of her ribs. She was hardly breathing correctly. She knew she wasn't going to last long. She needed reinforcements, but they were unlikely to show up. She had asked them to be on watch at the border. This was all her fault. Everything was her fault. Her little brother had died because she couldn't protect him. The love of her life died because she couldn't save him. She had given the order which had gotten her oldest friend killed. And now, she was going to join them because she was ill-equipped to protect herself. A lonely tear slid down her cheek at the prospect.

"Come now. This is all I can get from the surviving Legendary Sanin?" Kirigi asked, laughing at her. "This is pitiful." He gave another mighty swing of his red and white walking stick, drawing more blood and knocking her down. "I'm growing tired of this," he shrugged, just before creating three shadow clones.

She rose to her knee looking around the hospital room. She was surrounded by the Kirigi clones, which had made three more, making seven. Suddenly, Tsunade had a feeling she wasn't going to make it through this fight. She didn't let the fear get to her. Instead, she let it fuel her into fighting one last bout. She definitely wasn't going down without a fight.

Kirigi smiled at her determination. "You know, you're attitude will only get you killed now." She didn't back down to his words. If she was dying, she was planning on taking him with her. He nodded to his clones, and they launched into an attack on the fifth Hokage. She threw punches at each of them, making the vast number of them disintegrate with little puffs of clouds. One got the upper hand on her, though. She had been blinded by the swinging of her punches, not focusing on where everyone was and what they were doing. That one sloppy mistake was led to her end, and she knew it. A sloppy foolish mistake. One. Kirigi gave Tsunade a well placed punch to the face, hearing and feeling the crack of her nose under his fist. She coughed and sputtered with the blood flowing down her throat. He then landed another well placed upper cut, hearing her jaw pop out of place. She let out a hurt groan. "Now, I'm going to end this," he stated. She was still sputtering, trying hard to not breathe in the blood freely flowing down her throat and mouth. She felt as if she had been hit with a sledge hammer in the face. She was barely able to open her eyes through the pain, but when she did, she was able to see him run at her, his walking stick poised in a lance-like position. She barely got half a gasp as he rammed his walking stick through her chest, piercing her heart. Her eyes were wide as visions of her life passed through her mind's eye.

_Is this it?_ she asked herself. She knew the answer, but she was somewhat disappointed at it. She couldn't figure out what exactly she had done that was meaningful to anyone else in her life. Even though she had become Hokage and revolutionized the medical community. But what else? Suddenly, Naruto flashed through her mind. _That's right. I helped Naruto achieve his dream. I've made Sakura grow from an innocent young girl that couldn't harm anything but Naruto, into a strong woman who doesn't take any shit. She has saved thousands of lives with her medical training. I've led a good life. I've led a good li –…"_

Kirigi smiled as he heard Tsunade's lungs push out the last of her air. He took out his walking stick, then kicked her through the open wall, watching her fall down to the ground. He took off his fedora, and placed it over his heart, bowing a little to her. He then jumped down and waited for Katsumi's fight to end.

Naruto couldn't stop gawking at Tsunade's fallen body. Katsumi took his opening and slashed again, taking him out of his reverie, giving him a slash on his right cheek. He jumped back, eyes wide. Tsunade was one of the strongest people he knew, and they had taken her down within fifteen minutes. He was serious about the fight originally, but the severity of the fight had just hit him like a moving train. He didn't want to have to use the Wind Shurikan, considering the damage done to him was pretty bad too, but he wasn't seeing any other ways out.

"Hurry up, Katsumi. It shouldn't take too long to capture him," Kirigi snapped from the sidelines. As soon as he said it, Naruto began to formulate a plan to weaken her, creating two shadow clones standing behind him, creating a normal Rasengan in his left hand.

"You're welcome to help if you feel you can," Katsumi hissed back, lunging at the young Hokage. He spun around, dodging the attack, then reached out and grabbed the hilt of the knife and her hand with his free hand in a death-like grip, holding her steady in one spot. He quickly followed through with his Rasengan to her gut. Surprise shown on her face as he let her go and she was whirled into the hospital doors with a loud boom and the tinkling of shattered glass. _That should do it._ he thought.

Quickly, he turned to Kirigi as if he was going to fight him next, only to see him smiling. "What's so amusing!?" Naruto growled. As soon as the question left his lips, her heard rustling coming from the rubble of concrete and class from Katsumi crashing into the hospital. His head snapped over to see Katsumi getting up, a huge victorious smirk across her face. _That's not possible._ he thought, feeling fear beat through his heart. He should have been prepared for something like this. He didn't have any clones in sage mode at the moment because there hadn't been any issues like this in years. "How the Hell?" Naruto whispered to himself.

"You think the armor I wear is for show?" Katsumi laughed. "It's completely chakra resistant. Your Rasengan may have pushed me back to the hospital, but it only felt like a light punch against it." Naruto set his jaw and bit his inner cheek. This was bad. He REALLY didn't want to use the Wind Shurikan, but the aspect of winning the fight without it was looking grim. Katsumi's smirk quickly transformed into an evil grin as she realized he had no more moves that he was willing to use. "Looks like I've got you cornered," she laughed, pulling out a knife from her pack. She tossed it up, catching it by the tip of its blade, and threw it at him with incredible speed.

"Shit!" he cursed, not having enough time to dodge. Suddenly, he saw as the knife just suddenly dropped out of the air, bouncing backwards as if hit by some invisible force.

"Whew. That was close," he heard Lynne sigh. She stood there with the rest of the watch party on the hospital roof.

"Yeah, a little too close for my taste," Kakashi stated, not liking the fact that it took them what seemed to be forever to get there. During their run here, the seconds seemed to tick by like hours.

As soon as he heard the other party, Kirigi ran for the hills. His footsteps fast and carrying him at incredible speeds. "Shit! There he goes!" Cordi cursed, jumping off the building chasing the Akatsuki members.

"Kankuro, Temari, with us!" Gaara called to them, moving the sand cloud he stood on forward after Cordi and Kirigi. They nodded, and launched themselves off the building, following their brother.

Lynne jumped down, holding the force field in place. "Kakashi, Neji, take Naruto out of here," she ordered. "Your assistance won't be needed if her armor is chakra resistant." They nodded, jumping down to grab the young Hokage and escorting him out of the vicinity. "I'll fight you first," Lynne stated, glaring at the girl before her.

Katsumi gave an evil sneer in return. "This should be fun," she chuckled maniacally. She then ran forward, forcing Lynne to drop back while Katsumi grabbed her kitchen knife.

* * *

"Where did he go?" Cordi asked herself. When she reached the woods surrounding the city, the blind ninja had disappeared. Gaara caught up with her, and gave her an expectant look. "I'm sorry, I lost him. He is fast for an old guy," she explained.

"Well, Akatsuki didn't recruit him for nothing," Gaara stated obviously. He instantly grimaced as the tone of his words rang through his ears.

"No need to get smart," Cordi snapped back. He didn't have a retort, and could only bite his lower lip. She took a deep breath to cool down for a second and gain a level head. As soon as she did, she noticed she was on a cloud of sand with Gaara, as a massive amount of sand swept under them, sweeping through the forest. "What are you doing?"

"Flushing him out," he stated with no hint of emotion.

"What if he went back into Konoha?" Cordi asked skeptically.

"I sent Temari and Kankuro to get Shikamaru, Rox, Ronni, and Fred for wall security as soon as I saw him heading for the gate," he informed her, twisting the sea of sand beneath them into making more sand and covering the entire forest. "Kakashi also had Lynne send out a mass psychic message to Konohan ninja's to watch the walls in case of anymore attacks on our way over. He's not getting back in." Cordi nodded and watched the sand swarm the ground beneath them towards the horizon.

* * *

"I can't believe you fooled us like that," Lynne gasped between dodges. If Lynne had any strength, it was in defense, not attacking. Lynne barely got a hit in the entire time. She had been jumping back at every slice through the air.

"What are you talking about?" Katsumi hissed, giving another slash at her opponent.

"When you pretended to be Aneko, your other personality," Lynne growled, her tolerance for the girl in front of her growing thin.

"Oh, you mean when I slipped up suppressing her," Katsumi snarled. Lynne wasn't expecting that, and it showed on her face as her face faltered with confusion. "We need not worry abou-"

Suddenly, the expression on Katsumi's face altered, from confusion to pain. "KILL ME!!" a higher, more innocent voice begged out of the murderer's lips. Lynne was taken aback. She recognized it instantly as Aneko. Lynne started shaking her head lightly, confused by what she was seeing. "PLEASE! DO IT!!!" she screamed at Lynne. "I can't hold her back much longer! DO IT!" Lynne was just about to take her opening when suddenly, Lynne's conscience snapped and she realized something. This Aneko was just like her. When Lynne excessively used her powers, she went evil because every time she used them, she could feel her soul ripping apart. Aneko was an innocent girl who couldn't suppress this evil being inside her when she was scared. And suddenly it dawned on Lynne, Aneko shouldn't have to be a sacrifice to kill Katsumi. If Lynne used too much of her own power, should she ask her friends to kill her to prevent her from going on a rampage? Her friends wouldn't do it, that she was sure of.

"LYNNE!!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?!?!" Sasuke yelled at her, hoping to snap her out of her reverie as long as their target was still willing to die.

"I can't do it," Lynne muttered almost inaudibly. But Aneko was able to hear her.

"You have to!" Aneko stated. "Hurry! Before she comes back!"

"I can't do that to you," Lynne stated, shaking her head. Lynne's eyes were wide, but compassionate. "I will save you. I promise."

Just as Lynne said this, Aneko's face fell to a hopeless expression, and then twisted in pain again. "YOU WRETCHED GIRL!!!" Katsumi yelled at Aneko, trying her hardest to take control again. They heard Sasuke jump down from his perch as soon as Katsumi started to manifest. "Dammit!" she cursed, reaching for something in her bag and quickly throwing it. Smoke billowed around them, making Lynne and Sasuke cough, trying to keep the smoke away from their lungs. Their eyes burned from the stinging gas, making them tear up. They couldn't see anything.

It took a couple seconds for the gas to clear, and when it did, Katsumi was gone. "Dammit," Lynne cursed to herself, pursing her lips in rage at herself. "DAMMIT!!"

**AN:** Oh, surprises. I bet none of you saw Tsunade's fall coming did you? Anyway, please review, cause you know I love them and it's impossible to have enough of them. Thanks guys, and until next time. ^.^


	28. Part 2: Chapter 6

**AN:** Told you the next chap. was almost done. Here it is. ^.^ Oh, there is a lemon, just fyi.

And to Gaaras1Girl, haha, I liked that part too. I hope this is as good as the last one, even though it's a page and a half shorter.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi belongs to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Thanks a bunch!!!

**Chapter Six: Mourning the Losses**

Seeing that the entire country side was covered with sand, Gaara started to pull it back, knowing the people of Konoha really didn't want to live in a desert. That Akatsuki ninja had disappeared right underneath their noses. Maybe he was just too fast and got away quickly, that was the only possibility. For a guy with a walking stick, he sure could run fast.

"So, what are we gonna do?" Cordi asked, in a tired voice, slowly looking up to the Kazekage. It was obvious she was bored and didn't like the way this battle had turned out. Everyone just figured they were there for Naruto, but Cordi's gut said there was something more to why the Akatsuki reformed and came to Konoha. As she was chasing the blind ninja, she could saw him smirk and pat his pack. She tossed the thought away though, thinking it was nothing.

"Well, I guess we'll send a search party after him in the morning," Gaara stated, equally tired. Soon enough, the sand was back in the earth, and they were back on solid ground.

"I can grab Aleera, and start searching now. We shouldn't waste time," Cordi started, the image of the man's smirk entering her mind again. He must have gotten something. She began to walk away, mentally preparing herself to call Aleera to her.

"Cordi," Gaara sighed, grabbing hold of her forearm to stop her. "It's four forty-five in the morning. You would be no help to anyone without any sleep. Come on." He started urging her back to Konoha, and she resisted a little bit, until her adrenaline dropped and she felt the full force of how tired she really was. Her eyes drooped a little, and she shook her head to keep her awake. She couldn't deny what he said. She was way too tired to go on a search mission. She then nodded her consent to go back to the hotel suite to sleep. But his smirk was still plaguing her thoughts, and she resolved to figure it out in the morning.

* * *

Sasuke walked Lynne home, silence taking over their time together. Sasuke was wrought with confusion on why Lynne didn't attack. She was open and there was no way Katsumi could have survived. Lynne was stuck on what happened to Aneko and what would happen to her. How was it right? It didn't make any sense.

Their footsteps clapped as their shoes met the cobblestoned street. It wasn't a long walk from the hospital to the apartment complex. But it was long enough to make their silence awkward to the point of driving anyone away. They were standing outside it shortly. "G-good night," Sasuke muttered to Lynne. She just nodded to him in reply and went into the building, leaving Sasuke feeling oddly alone.

He started to turn towards his own apartment building when a strange thought crossed his mind. His memory of earlier tonight triggered, and it was something he needed to know.

* * *

Sakura was ordered to take Tsunade into the hospital morgue until the funeral date was selected. Tsunade rested peacefully on the metal slab in front of her, under the only light in the room. It was cold, to keep the body preserved. She placed a hand on Tsunade's cold shoulder. Quietly, she pulled a stool from behind her forward and sat down, placing her elbows on the slab. She rested her head in her hands, quietly looking over Tsunade's body. The stab wound to the heart was unmistakably the mortal wound. Blood stained Tsunade's chest around where the walking stick pierced her heart.

The whole scenario was so unreal to Sakura. She knew eventually that her mentor would leave her, but she wasn't expecting so soon. Unlike most instances, Sakura had no time to prepare herself for when the teacher who was so much like a mother to her. The tears started to well under her eyelids, making them hurt a little. She knew that Tsunade would tell her not to cry over her fallen corpse, but Sakura couldn't help it. Even her hardest attempts to hold back the river of tears threatening to burst forth weren't strong enough for the job.

"I'm sorry," Sakura sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "I should have been there. If I was there, you would not have died. This isn't right." She started to choke, and she took deep breaths to try and calm herself, but nothing worked. Sakura surrendered her mind to her sadness, collapsing her arms onto the slab, and crying into them. Somewhere in her mind, someone was telling her that it wasn't true, that Tsunade would pop up and ask why Sakura was crying, then try to smack her out of it. But nothing happened. No one came to coax Sakura down. Tsunade did not awake and say everything was alright. Sakura was alone in the morgue.

* * *

Naruto sat in his room, similar thoughts running through his mind. The image of Tsunade's fall kept repeating itself in his mind. He could remember seeing her in the hole in the wall, the stick piercing her straight through, coming out of her back. He could see her falling out of the hole and landing on the pavement outside, bouncing a little from the contact, and sounding out a sickening SMACK. Her body was twisted in a way that made shivers go up his spine. He had never seen a body in such an unnatural position. He was too in shock to cry. That was the first time he had to watch a friend and mentor be murdered right in front of him.

With him just sitting on his bed, his gaze staring off into the distance as if he wasn't really there, he didn't notice that he had accidentally woken Hinata up. "Honey, are you okay?" she asked. He stayed silent, his mind tormenting him with the images. "Naruto," she said softly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"What?" he asked nervously, as his wife drove him out of his disturbing thoughts.

"What happened?" she asked, concern filling her voice.

Naruto bit his lip, then conceded to sharing his thoughts. "We were attacked by two ninja. Akatsuki has reformed itself. The two ninja got away, but not before they killed Lady Tsunade," he stated, his voice so grim Hinata wasn't sure it belonged to him. She gasped at the last thing he said, bringing a hand to her mouth

"W-what'll we do?" she asked, trying to wrap her mind around it. She had heard something going on, but the walls were well constructed, so it didn't sound like much. She probably should have known something big had been going on, though.

"I don't know," Naruto sighed, not liking what he said one bit.

* * *

Lynne slammed her door shut, and with its slap against its doorframe, she let her tears flow from her eyes. Why? Why was she so conflicted like this? How was this alright with the universe? The reality of her condition had become so clear to her during her battle with Katsumi that she could barely contain her choking sobs. In her heart of hearts, she was sure that her promise to the slumbering Aneko was an impossible feat. And that hopelessness consuming her for upcoming failure to separate Aneko's body and conscience from Katsumi was overtaking her mind. If she wasn't able to do it for Aneko, she would never be able to do it for herself if the time ever came.

A loud knocking came to her door, shattering reverie and bringing her back to the present. "Lynne, it's me. Open up," she heard Sasuke order from the other side of the door.

She really didn't want to talk at the moment, knowing he was peeved that she didn't strike when she had the chance. "Go away," she called back.

"No," he replied, his attitude very present in the one word. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she quickly wiped her eyes clean of tears, and her nose with her sleeve. She then turned around with a smile on her face and opened the door, seeing Sasuke scowling at her. "Don't lie to me."

"What do you mean?" Lynne asked, hoping she had successfully hidden her stutter from crying.

"The fact that you were crying just now, loser," Sasuke replied, taking a step in. A wave of concern swept over his face, but as soon as it appeared, it was gone.

Lynne, still smiling, shook her head as if she had no idea what he meant. But his piercing gaze didn't waver, and she was easily reduced back to tears. "I – I," she stuttered, trying to find words to convey her feelings to him.

"Sh," he said, putting a finger to her lips. His eyes searched her face, as if he could read her mind just by seeing her expression. And suddenly, she could see what was about to happen, but she could scarcely believe it. Slowly, he leaned forward, closing his eyes gently, in the sexiest way possible. She didn't think twice about pulling herself up to meet him. Their lips brushed lightly, but they felt the classic zing of shock. It was directly ignored by both parties, whom had pushed themselves together, creating and intense and passionate kiss. Sasuke broke the kiss, saying in a breathy tone, "I'm here for you," just before diving down to her collar bone, suckling on it lightly, and moving her shirt sleeve aside. He got up for air again and added, "I'll always be here for you." Lynne's heart jumped at what he just said, looking down to him. She noted he was completely serious with his statement when she saw his earnest face looking up to hers longingly. A soft smile crept to her face, and she dropped her hands to his hands. Biting her lip a little nervously, and grasping his hand in hers, she led him back to her room.

She gently sat at the foot of her bed, moving her hands up to the base of his skull, and gently pulled him down with her. Her lips connected with his, pulling him into a deep tongue battle. Not one to loose, Sasuke deepened the kiss, leaning further on the bed, and pushing her closer back to the headboard. The kiss was getting heated. They could feel their heart rates increasing, their temperatures rising. The need for clothes was no longer there, because with them, they were suffocating. Hurriedly, they whipped of their articles of clothes. And there they stood, in nothing but their flushed skin. A mere second went by, but it felt like time had stopped for them to quickly evaluate each other.

Sasuke resumed his position on top of her, pulling her into another kiss, both hands massaging her small breasts, which he was thankful for. He had always felt that the bigger they were, the more they got in the way. Her breath hitched at his perfect massaging techniques. She bucked her hips against his, her core hurting with anticipation. She also could feel his member was erect with anticipation too. He got the hint, and positioned himself between her open and welcoming legs. As fast as lightning, he thrust into her, making her gasp with delight at his member. He gave her a happy stretch and fit her just like a puzzle piece. No, more like he was the perfect key to her lock. He was already starting a pace, gently pulling out, then thrusting hard back in, each time gaining depth. Her nails clawed his back with delight, scratching him lightly. But suddenly, the speed was no longer enough. "F-faster," she stammered, losing her breath. She could feel her stomach coiling and twisting as if she were being tickled, but completely different at the same time. He complied, pulling her hips up off the mattress in order to access a better tempo. Soon enough, the twisting in her stomach was becoming too much, that in an attempt to control it, she curled her legs around him, and then her toes and fingers. She hadn't notice, but Sasuke's hands were balled up, fisting the sheets. Their breathing was becoming more shallow now, and their mouths hung open, gasping for oxygen, hoping the other could give it to them or some form of release. Suddenly, whatever was twisting could twist no more, and snapped back into place, radiating the rest of her body with the feeling of pleasure from its torment. "SASUKE!!" She moaned loudly, but it was obvious she was trying to keep it quiet. People were sleeping. Sasuke suddenly felt as if some part of his body had sprung a leak in the dam holding back and orgasm. But just as soon as that one leak started, the rest of it had exploded, making him shudder with its power as he came into her. "Lynne," he moaned. The sound of her name on his lips was as beautiful as the tinkling of bells.

He fell out of her, rolling to the side in sheer contentment. She sighed, her face showing her shock. She had had sex before, but this was so different on so many levels. Most of the time before, it had been casual, and several of those times she had to fake an orgasm as best as she could. But this, this was real. She rolled to her side, looking at Sasuke, who just blinked at the ceiling. Suddenly, she realized she wouldn't have Sasuke any other way.

* * *

"Way to leave me back there," Katsumi growled as soon as she found Kirigi, her partner, poking him in the shoulder hard. They were supposed to work together, but he ditched her instead to save his own ass. What a gentleman.

"Well," Kirigi started, "you would have been smart to leave too. It doesn't take a genius to know thirteen against two is not going to turn out well." Katsumi pursed her lips in annoyance. He just always had to be right, didn't he? "Also, I had to make sure we actually left with what we were assigned to steal."

"And did you?" They heard a voice from above them. They looked up to see Madara Uchiha standing on a branch of a tree that was currently towering over them. Kirigi nodded to him, pulling a scroll out of his pack, and tossing it up to the oldest Uchiha. Madara snatched the scroll out of the air with ease, and unrolled it. If Madara wasn't wearing his usual pumpkin like mask, they would have been able to see that he was grinning. "Good work both of you. Now we have the secret to our victory," he stated, gesturing to the scroll.

**AN:** Hoped you liked it! Remember, please review!!! Thanks!


	29. Part 2: Chapter 7

**AN:** Yay, 4,500 views. You guys are the shiznits of all shiznits! I hope you guys like the new chapter. I decided to opt for some major plot twists, does that suit well with you guys? Tell me in the reviews!

And to GrimSpeck18, 1. I know you do. 2. I know you do. And 3. We all should know. ^.^

And to Thomas Drovin, I think Kirigi will manage, and you'll see how. ^.^

And to Repentless Wind, I uploaded them back to back. I felt really guilty for promising something, then not performing. . But I hope you like this chapter. I'm sending you for another loop-de-loop. ^.^

And to GrayRay, Yeah, it's planned. And funny thing, I actually had no idea about the whole forks and knives thing. When I was rooming with a bunch of students from Asia last year, I only saw them use chop sticks when they had them, which was the majority of the time. .

And to Organization me, It's a bit of both, actually. Yes the girls are based on real people, but the names aren't the real names. I do that for two reasons, security precautions (stalker, no stalking), and to make it clear that the characters aren't real. They are purely fictional. But I don't know one author who doesn't base fictional characters on real people. They normally do that to people who they want to honor, and the people who I based these girls on happen to have been my closest friends when I went through difficult times. I actually base a lot of my characters on them because I see them as real people, worthy of honoring. So, yay?

And to Gaaras1Girl, Yeah, that was a pretty fast update. I'm glad I got you excited for this chapter. As I said, I'm gonna turn heads with this one. ^.^

And to Azura Soul Reaver, glad you thought so.

I wanna thank the newbie favoriters/alerters. Vampires-ninjas-ohmy, GrayRay, and melodyhina123, thanks and welcome to the family!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi, Mi, Saito, Nogami, Ryuu, Kaori, and Shada belong to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Although, I did take some creative liberties with Saito, Thomas. Thanks a bunch!!!

**Chapter Seven: The Last Sannin**

It was an early Saturday morning. The sun shone bright behind small puffy clouds decorating the light blue sky. The birds chirped cheerily, giving a very happy mood to the day. Although, the day wasn't supposed to be a merry one at all. The entire village crowded into the cemetery, somber faces on everyone. There wasn't a hint of color among the population. Most of the people standing there were crying, while others held faces of poorly masked sorrow. They all held white lilies loosely in their hands containing their memories of the beloved Sixth.

Naruto stood at the front of the crowd, behind a headstone marked "Lady Tsunade: Beloved Sixth Hokage and Last Legendary Sannin. 1955-2013." Hinata stood next to him. Both held quiet and reflecting facial expressions. Naruto nervously fingered his speech cards in his hands. People trickled in slowly, among the last of them were Mr. and Mrs. Nara, and in front of them, Roxanne and Shikamaru. It seemed that Mrs. Nara couldn't focus on anything other than her furiousness of the couple in front her, holding hands as they found a row to stand in. Fred came in not far behind them, joining up with Roxanne. Sasuke and Lynne had come in earlier and were in a couple rows behind Gaara, Cordi, Kankuro, Temari, and Yukina, who were in the first row.

Kiba had returned the night before, and was seen walking in with Ronni. It was obvious he hadn't unpacked from his mission yet because he was still decked out in his usual black leather jacket and black jeans. But he did attempt to clean up a little by slicking back his brown bangs. Akamaru was with them with a black bow tied around his neck, obviously Ronni's doing. She was dressed in a frilly black Sunday dress and her light brown hair tied back into a bun. Gaara had on a formal black suit and black tie, his hair untamed as usual. His shoulders looked a little relieved to not be holding its usual burden of his sandy gourd. Cordi had her dirty blond hair tied back in a half ponytail, small wisps of hair fallen out making her look elegant. She wore a long-sleeved black dress that had a v-neck collar and was bunched at the V's point. Roxanne wore a gray tank top with a black skirt and a black jacket. Her hair was also pulled into a tight bun. Shikamaru on the other hand wore black capris and a long black shirt that was tied across the waist with a twisted white sash, like most everyone else. He kept his rough hair pulled back in his pineapple like ponytail. Sasuke was wearing the same thing, but he didn't touch his hair. Lynne had let her hair lay flat. She wore a black dress with a white sash around her waist. Fred wore a white cami with a black laced top and a black bohemian skirt. Her hair was pulled back into a French braid.

Naruto took a step forward, his black trench coat billowing slightly as a breeze blew through the cemetery. "Good morning everyone," he started, somewhat solemnly. "Today we are here to remember the life of one of Konoha's strongest women, literally and metaphorically. Lady Tsunade wasn't just our fifth Hokage, but a wise leader who coined many strategies to keep our ninja teams safe. She was an ambassador to many of our allying countries. And she was the last of the Legendary Sannins."

He stopped, letting this basic summation of her life sink in. He took a sharp breath then continued. "But she was more than what we all know about her. She was more than this basic history lesson we've learned. She was a caring woman deep down, hidden by her sarcasm and wit. She was the most dedicated person I've ever met. If she had a mission, she would make sure it was done." He stopped and looked towards the sky for a moment, hoping Tsunade's spirit would help him give this eulogy he had issues preparing for.

* * *

Madara, Kirigi and Katsumi finally arrived at the Akatsuki meeting cave. In the rock enclosed space stood seven people, all wearing the signature Akatsuki robes, in the shape of a semi-circle. On the right end stood a man with a black top hat, blue eyes shining underneath its shadow. Strawberry blond hair peeked out from underneath the hat's tight embrace. He was of an average height and a wiry build.

Next to him was another man about the same age as the previous one. He was tall with a nice build. He had messy black hair with a red tint to it. His eyes were black and annoyed, especially from the girl he stood next to who was staring longingly at him. She had rosy pink hair that was most of the time considered magenta. She had big innocent blue eyes, which hid how evil she really was. She fluttered her eyelashes at the attractive man next to her who paid her no heed. She had a thin waist, which she showed by tying a tight red sash around it, but had a well endowed chest and.

Next to her was an albino woman, with hair as pale as her skin. Her eyes were a deep crimson red, also showing their annoyance of the young woman next to her. She was thinner than the woman beside her, but was still eerily pretty.

Suigetsu stood next to her, his fangs jutting over his bottom lip as usual. He had grown a little over the years since he worked with Sasuke. He was taller now, less boyish. He had his white hair tied back into a small ponytail and a small goatee sat on his chin.

Next to Suigetsu stood a guy with a black pirate-like hat. He had a cloth tied around his head, masking the lower half of his face. He had very expressive blue eyes as they zoomed through the page of a romantic novel. His reddish brown hair was neatly parted on the left side of his head, some of his right bangs falling over his forehead.

And next to him was a man that at most looked to be in his mid-thirties. He had silver hair that spilled down to his mid-back like a waterfall, and vibrant green eyes that told any onlooker that he was older than he seemed. He looked angelic, or at least ethereal. He was a rather thin man, but tall, taller than anyone else in the room. He held himself in a very proud posture and ignored the other members in the room, other than the ones entering.

Madara smiled at them all, even though they couldn't see it. He was happy they all made it. He jumped onto their speaking ledge, preparing to give them all an announcement. "Ladies and Gentlemen," he called down to them. "We have the prophecy." He added the last little bit by pulling a scroll out of his pocket and waving it in his hand. There was a small applause, which Madara cut off quickly.

"Now, we have all read what the soothsayer's son had to say about it. The son who was plagued by the same vision and wrote down what he saw in his journal, which Ryuu was so kind to show to us," Madara stated, pointing down to the silver haired man at the end and pulling out a small notebook.

He opened it to a marked page and read, _"Last night the strangest dream came to me. It was so vivid it was almost real. I was stuck in a huge battle. One side held five dragons with five female riders and five male riders, and about fifty shinobi. The other side held eight of the nine tailed beasts, along with a group of people in black cloaks adorned with red clouds. Both sides charged at each other and a battle ensued. Many of the shinobi were killed. But the riders stayed together. The rider with fire and the rider with sand fought side by side. The rider with water and the rider with a beast of a dog fought together too, as did the rider with wind and the rider with shadow. The rider with earth helped the rider controlling puppets. And the rider with a spiritual power fought next to the rider with eyes of the Uchiha clan. The battle was starting to look grim for the riders when something flashed, and I was awake."_ He smirked as he finished the entry, then loudly slapped the notebook shut. He barely noticed Kirigi's seriously pensive face after hearing both parts of the prophecy.

"We have heard through the grapevine that they are here. In the journal, it later states the battle is decided after the one event in the battle. And that this one event will only occur if the women do as they are supposed to in the prophecy. The journal also makes it obvious that the group they are fighting is us. They say it's an Apocolypse, but what could they know? We aren't truly ending the world, just making a better one. One which is peacefully under my rule," Madara stated, then muttered, "as our friend Saito is demonstrating constantly." That last statement, Madara would probably wish he hadn't said, but he wasn't too worried about his words now. He thought no one could hear them, but he didn't count on the fact that when one sense is never used, the other four are heightened immeasurably.

Kirigi heard him. He could even hear Madara's smirking expression underneath his mask through Madara's tone of voice as he brought up this new information about the man the magenta-haired girl was fawning over. It disgusted him.

Kirigi had never before heard of this sick demeaning of his friend's life. Saito and Kirigi became friends because he was obviously different from the others in Akatsuki. Kirigi could never figure out why, until now. Saito did not belong there. He was an innocent victim being used as Madara's lab rat. This had answered the question that had been plaguing his mind for the past couple years; why would Madara hire such a nice guy? Akatsuki was so out of character with Saito's personality.

Kirigi understood why he himself was hired. It was blatantly obvious to any of the Akatsuki members that the only reason he was hired was to get back at Sasuke, who betrayed Madara. Madara saw Kirigi as useful, but just barely, for the fact that he was blind, and therefore could not get sucked into an Uchiha genjutsu. As soon as he got Sasuke out of the way, he would be asked to leave in the not-so-gentle way. Kirigi knew this too, but he wanted to be proven as useful as possible during his stay with them. Kirigi took the job for the paycheck, because it was much more than they were offering martial artist teachers, or that was what he had led Madara to believe.

In reality, he had retired from being a martial arts teacher, or even looking for prospective students, years before. He had recently gotten a new job before joining Akatsuki: espionage. When he took this job originally, he was already employed by the late Lady Tsunade to be hired into Akatsuki. She believed Madara would eventually want vengeance on Sasuke for his unconventional way of leaving the Akatsuki, and she was right. She wanted to use that opening as a way to keep tabs on Madara. So, she told Kirigi to do whatever it took to sell his role to Madara. For the past four years of being under both their employments, he was able to handle the jobs, assassinations and such, Madara set for him. Tsunade knew he didn't want to do what this job forced him to do.

Just before getting to Konoha, a week prior to all this, he sent Tsunade a message saying that there would be an attack. He called for a small meeting in the forest just outside the gates. There they discussed how everything would go down during the attack.

_(Flashback)_

_Kirigi stood in the designated forest clearing for his meeting with Lady Tsunade. He had been waiting for her to approach him for the past fifteen minutes. He let out a sigh. She should have been here by now, and she was never late before. But then again, they had only met five times before this._

"_Kirigi," he heard the familiar voice of Tsunade call to him. He turned towards her voice, hearing leaves crackle underneath her feet with each step._

"_You're late," he growled lightly._

"_I'm sorry. I got held up on my shift at the hospital," Tsunade stated. "So, what has Madara got you doing for this mission?"_

"_Well, my partner's and my main priority for this mission is getting the prophecy. And then a nice pat on the back if we get the jinchuuriki, too," Kirigi stated. He paused, wondering if she had any input on the matter. When she didn't speak up, he continued. "Madara ordered me to hide my partner's adrenaline pills. He wants her to be a decoy for me to get in and get the goods."_

"_Adrenaline pills?" Tsunade asked, confusion obvious in her voice._

"_My partner shifts between personalities based on how much adrenaline is running through her body. When she gets to a calm state, she reverts to her normal self before she had this mental illness, which is caring and wouldn't harm a fly, but scared out of her mind easily enough. When her adrenaline picks up, she adopts this malicious personality that would kill __anything__ that crosses her path," Kirigi explained, his voice tired. Suddenly his face held mild confusion and he said, "I could have sworn I told you this."_

"_Maybe," Tsunade stated. "It's been a while."_

"_Clearly," he added, a bit snobbishly._

_Tsunade ignored him and continued working out a quick strategy with the information given. "Alright, I will make sure a room is open for her at the hospital. How will I know who your partner is?"_

"_You'll know," he smiled mischievously at her with his vague answer. He could almost feel Tsunade frowning in disproval at him, but he didn't really care._

"_Now, the prophecy," she started, "we obviously can't give you the real one." Kirigi knew that already, but just nodded his head in agreement rather than say anything. "So, I will get a small team of genjutsu specialists to put a genjutsu on a blank parchment, making it look as if it's the real prophecy. It will wear off, though, anywhere between twelve to fourteen hours, so get it to him quickly if he wants to verify that it is the prophecy, not a blank parchment. I'll try and get it on Naruto's desk, but if that is impossible, then I will have it in the archives and I'll hide the original somewhere._

"_This brings up another issue," Tsunade stated. Kirigi shot her a curious glance then realized what she was getting at. "Madara will know you betrayed him when the genjutsu wears off. So, before that happens, I want you to get out of there as soon as possible. Right now, you are more useful to us than ever with all the information you have on the Akatsuki. Understand?"_

_Kirigi nodded, happy to know half the plan was figured out and that she had his back, kind of. "What about the battle? I can guarantee that Katsumi will be itching for a fight."_

"_Well, we need to keep the Kages away, especially Naruto," Tsunade stated, pointing out the obvious for them both. "I will make sure I'm on hospital duty tomorrow night. Pick up your partner then. I will fight you to help sell your story to Madara until you're able to escape. Do not fight anyone else," she ordered, then adding, "Do whatever it takes to sell your role. Kill me if you have to. I would rather you not, but if that's best, report to Naruto from then on. He will know about this._

"_I will try to get Rock Lee to fight Katsumi, but I can't guarantee anything because I'm no longer Hokage. I will put a watch on the outer wall incase anything goes wrong and Katsumi ends up killing someone," Tsunade stated. Kirigi nodded his understanding. "That should be it, then," Tsunade sighed._

"_Yeah, sounds right," Kirigi stated._

"_See you tomorrow, then," Tsunade said. "Good luck."_

"_Yeah, you too," Kirigi replied, retreating back to his camp where Katsumi lay sleeping._

_(End Flashback)_

Kirigi had come to terms with everything that had happened. He was able to handle the fact that he would be on the run shortly, to return to Konoha, a place that he had just made some pretty formidable enemies. He could handle the fact that he had just killed the one person in the world who knew more about him than he did himself. But, he could not handle the fact that Madara had someone who he had become close friends with over the past two years under a spell. He couldn't leave Saito behind to rot as a useless experiment. Saito would go with him.

It was then Kirigi had realized he had tuned out half of Madara's speech due to his reveries, and decided to listen in. "Although, I have a feeling we'll need some assistance for this battle. For that I have just the man in mind. He should still be alive, we'll just have to dig," Madara stated. "For this, I'll need Suigetsu, Katsumi, and Nogami. We leave now." With that he jumped off his perch and started to make his way out, the three he mentioned following behind him.

Kirigi stayed quiet. He knew what he had to do, and that it had to be done soon.

* * *

It was time to take flowers up to the grave, letting the memories of Tsunade pass through them for their final farewells. It was silent as each and every person walked up to the grave site, gently placing their lilies on the headstone. Slowly everyone got a turn. After almost forty-five minutes, the last three rows got to pay their respects to her. Shikamaru, Roxanne, and Fred had just gotten back to where they were standing originally when Shikamaru's face changed from its somber serenity to perplexity. Roxanne noticed the instant change, and saw him look to his father as if in question. Shikaku also harbored the same expression, signaling to Fred and Roxanne something was wrong.

"Shikamaru, what is it?" Roxanne asked, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

He was quiet for a moment before whispering, "Someone is trespassing in the Nara forest." He watched his father, almost as if they were communicating telepathically. Shikaku nudged his head back, signaling Shikamaru to check out what was wrong. He nodded, and quietly exited the funeral.

Something about the situation irked Roxanne. So she too exited almost invisibly, not escaping Mrs. Nara's angry gaze though. She jogged up to Shikamaru, who was oddly walking at a fast pace. When he noticed Roxanne was joining him, he stopped. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm going with you," Roxanne stated as if it were obvious.

Shikamaru shook his head slightly with a ghost of a chuckle. "Why?" he asked.

Roxanne sighed and answered, "I just have this feeling in my gut that you're going to need me."

He pursed his lips, then conceded by nudging his head saying, "Come on." They then sprinted to the eastern forest region that hid behind the Nara house. It took them nearly an hour to sprint across the village. They then reached the house and made their way to the backyard garden area. Roxanne barely noticed Shikamaru's shadow possession jutsu on her as they reached the edge of the Nara Forest. But when she did, Shikamaru stated, "It's only a precaution. I don't want you getting lost." They then ran into the forest. Shikamaru seemed to sense where the trespassers were. After what seemed to be endless running, a good two hours, they stopped abruptly at a small clearing in the trees. Roxanne heard Shikamaru mutter "Shit," under his breath. He released her from the jutsu letting her know this is where they were stopping.

"Are they still here?" Roxanne asked.

"No," Shikamaru stated, sounding disappointed with himself. "They got what they came for." Roxanne was confused by what he said and walked around him to see what he was looking at. Instantaneously, she recognized this clearing from the anime. The only difference she noticed was the gaping hole that sat in the center of it. As soon as this registered with her, she understood Shikamaru's anger. Hidan was back.

**AN:** Alrighty. Review, tell me what you think guys. Did I blow your minds with that last bit ... actually with the whole bit? Who saw that coming? Haha. I'm waiting for GrimSpeck18 to go "O.O WAHT!?!?!?!" Haha, so yeah, review plz, thanks!


	30. Part 2: Chapter 8

**AN:** Yay, 5,000 views!!! I love you guys!! Alright, I'm really sorry for the delay, but I hope you guys still love me. And guess what the grand total page count is for this chapter … 19 pages!!!! I know, you guys are just like O.O, "Really? How on Earth did she have the patience to type that up?" To tell the truth, I didn't, and many of my friends can tell you that I was pretty much ready to spill the entire story because I was bursting at the seams to tell anyone other than my sister, but I held back all the temptations, and instead opted for a very LONG and IMPORTANT chapter. BTW, this is the longest chapter I have ever written and guess what, this story has passed the 250 page mark. Actually, the next chapter starts on 260. . I digress, sorry. I hope you love it, and please please _please_ review!!!

And to GrimSpeck18, 1. You know I was thinking the same thing! 2. Of course he's back! And 3. I'm not hugging Sasuke. ^.^

And to Thomas Drovin, Oh, Just wait, they'll be back in no time. This chapter is long enough though. .

And to PrincessSayaka, You always love love love love love. ^.^

And to Dantesfreezer, I don't think you've earned a reply, considering I had to knuckle you into giving me a review. .# GGGRRRRRRR!!!!!

And to Perminantly Lost In Thought, Hidan's going to be the only one??? ^.~

And to Gaaras1Girl, Oh, it's worse than that on Kirigi's end. Just read, you'll see why.

And to Azura Soul Reaver, glad you thought so.

And to Rezzalia, Thanks. I'm glad you like it so much!

I wanna thank the newbie favoriters/alerters. Kaore Ryu and Mr. Jay Black, thanks and welcome to the family!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi, Saito, belong to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Although, I did take some creative liberties with Saito, Thomas. Thanks a bunch!!!

**Chapter Eight: Why Spy?**

Shikamaru was in a daze. He hardly registered that Rox had walked him back to his house, to his room, to his bed, helping him to sit down. It was obvious she had ignored his parents as she walked him through his house. His mother was glaring at them and his father was shooting worried glances between Rox and Shikamaru. He vaguely recalled his father asking what had happened, and when he wasn't answered he followed them.

"Lemme get you some water," Rox suggested lightly. Shikamaru just gave a small nod, not really paying attention to anything. How could his mind register anything. He was in shock.

Rox left his side momentarily, lightly ushering his parents out of the doorway of his room, and shutting Shikamaru's door behind her. He could still hear his father through the false sense of privacy that the closed door gave.

"What happened?" Shikaku asked, more urgently. He could practically hear how his father was standing through his tone; arms crossed, shoulders hunched, and a scowl on his face. His mother was silent, but he knew that was only because she knew Shikaku wanted answers, and he was going to get them if she was screeching over the only girl who had them.

"Hidan's back," Shikamaru heard Rox sigh.

As soon as she said this, memories fired through his brain. _"Take care of Kuranai for me," Asuma gasped._ Shikamaru blinked. _Asuma laid before him, coughing, choking on the blood in his throat, some of his blood landing on Shikamaru's face._ Shikamaru blinked again. Trying to push back the painful memory, but like a set of dominoes, it triggered one memory after another. _Hidan had fallen for Shikamaru's plan, ingesting some of his partner's blood. Now it was just up to Shikamaru to be able to pull off his role of a frightened mouse watching the trap it had accidentally sprung jump into action. _Shikamaru closed his eyes, trying to focus on what was happening now. _Hidan hung before him, body covered in paper bombs, screaming at him. Shikamaru not listening, instead watching the lighter Asuma had left him whirl through the air till it hit the paper bombs, blowing Hidan's body to pieces._ Shikamaru propped his elbows on his knees and place his forehead in his palms slowly.

_After seeing the newly dug ground, Shikamaru sprung out. His mind only repeated one thing. Hidan was back. Suddenly he stopped, seeing Roxanne in his path, looking at him as if he had lost his mind. "Get out of my way," he growled._

"_What are you doing?" Roxanne asked, completely ignoring his order._

"_I have to kill Hidan," Shikamaru stated. Shikamaru barely realized it, but it was like his mind had been immediately shoved back six years. Back to when Asuma died._

"_You can't, not yet," Rox stated. Shikamaru didn't back down. He was obviously raging, and Rox could also see that somewhere in him, he was lost. "Considering now we know the Akatsuki is back, and they are most likely the only ones who would want Hidan, it's safe to say that Madara is with him. You can't face Madara yourself, and guaranteed he is not by himself. You would die before ever touching a hair on Hidan." Shikamaru's confusion started to contort his features. He looked around, trying to figure everything out, shaking his head slowly. Rox's heart sank watching him. "Shikamaru, snap out of it," Rox rasped, worry taking over her body. She placed a calming hand on his cheek. Suddenly he slackened, looking completely lost. Rox knew it was a horrible way of describing him at the moment, but the way he looked was definitely the lights were on, but no one was home. She gave a resigned sigh, pulling him away from the dig site, back towards Konoha._

_She had no idea that there were only two words running though his head. Two word's that had him silent and absent. "I failed."_

That testament rang through his mind. _I failed. I failed to avenge Asuma._ One tear slid down his cheek, then another, and another, until it felt as if he would drown in them. Suddenly it took too much strength to sit, and he just laid down and curled into a ball, tears flowing like rapid rivers over his face.

Meanwhile, Rox was in the kitchen, a drinking glass in hand, walking over to the kitchen sink. "What do you mean 'Hidan's back?'" Shikaku asked, very cross.

"It means he's alive," Rox answered in a very clipped tone as she turned on the faucet and put the glass underneath the flow of water.

Shikaku stayed silent. But his wife shook her head, a small disbelieving laugh escaping her lips before she said, "Shikamaru killed him."

Rox bit the inside of her cheek and turned off the water before it flowed over the cup. His mother had no idea. She couldn't take this horrible news and go comfort her son? She had to challenge it? Rox gently set down the glass and moved away from it, so she wouldn't knock it off its perch. She started, quietly, but venom was obviously in her voice. "He didn't. He took care of him yes, but Hidan is immortal, making it impossible for anyone to kill him." Shikamaru's mother looked taken aback at Rox's tone. Suddenly, Rox felt badly for her outburst and muttered, "Sorry."

Mrs. Nara glared at her and stated, "This is exactly why I told Shikamaru to stay away from you. You give him a false sense of security! And as soon as he's down, you refuse anything good he's done!" Shikaku pursed his lips and stayed silent. He wasn't one to jump in a fight unnecessarily, especially if his wife was in it. He loved her, but she was scarier than his own mother, which was saying something.

Rox was shocked by Mrs. Nara's cruelty. Shikamaru had told her that his mother would most likely hate her, but really? She hated her that much? "I'm not saying that Shikamaru didn't get rid of Hidan for six years! He did, and rather amazingly I might add! I'm just astounded that you would rather challenge information than comfort your son, who is obviously in shock!" Rox nearly yelled. Her eyes were wide with disbelief and a slight hint of rage. She quickly snatched up the glass of water, and quickly walked back to Shikamaru's room, dodging Mrs. Nara on her way out of the kitchen.

Mrs. Nara was obviously livid. They stood there silently for a minute or so. Shikaku opened his mouth to say something, only to get a glare from his wife. "Don't say a word," she snarled, turning on her heel and walking down the hallway.

When Rox opened Shikamaru's door, she saw him balled up on the bed, sobs shaking his body. She quickly rushed over to him, setting the glass of water on the bedside table. "Shikamaru?" Rox asked, sitting on the bed next to him. She put a calming hand on his shoulder. Tears welled in her eyes when he shrugged her hand off. "Shikamaru … I'm sorry," Roxanne whispered. Suddenly, his sobbing stopped, and he sat up and looked at her, tears still falling from his eyes. "I'm so, so sorry," she sobbed silently, tears falling slowly along her face, her lower lip trembling as if it held some great weight. He gave her a confused look through his glassy eyes. "I can't bear to see you in such pain," she stated, tears flowing freely down her face, pain for him etched on her face. A small giggle escaped her lips and she added, "even when you were just a cartoon character."

Slight surprise took over his tear stained face as he just looked at the woman before him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Something started tugging on his heart as he watched her cry. It was … painful. Not agonizing, but just enough to notice. He then realized that he couldn't bear to see her in pain either. He loved her too much. He loved her. Then it hit him. _I love her._ Not wanting to show his surprise at his own revelation, he nodded slightly, pulling her into a loose embrace, placing his forehead against hers. Their eyes were closed and they just sat like that. Time seemed to freeze and zoom past them at the same time. Their world was small, containing only themselves, never wanting to let go of the other.

"I think it's time you left," Mrs. Nara stated, the venom of her tone not even tactfully hidden.

They didn't know when she showed up, but they didn't really care either. "The Wicked Witch of the West wants me to go," Rox sighed. Shikamaru sighed, having no idea what she was referencing, and not really caring either. He brought a hand up to her cheek, and leaned in brushing his lips against hers, his warm lips making light contact with her dark pink ones. She pressed her lips back, accepting his small kiss, grabbing his free hand and giving it a small squeeze. Both of them smiled a little into their kiss, before parting. She put her forehead against his again. "I'll tell Naruto," she whispered, rubbing her thumb over his hand, then getting up to leave. He frowned, feeling his heart pull again as she walked out of her room and down the hall. Both of them ignored Mrs. Nara's angry glare following Rox out Shikamaru's room and out of the Nara household.

"The nerve of that girl," Mrs. Nara growled, stomping away. Shikaku stayed silent, pressing his lips firmly tight. He gave Shikamaru a knowing look and nodded his acceptance of Rox, making Shikamaru smile a little.

Kirigi and Saito had made it halfway to Konoha, giving a huge birth to the Nara forest. Kirigi really didn't want to run into Madara, who was on his way back from digging up Hidan. They didn't have a lot of time, and they couldn't risk stopping. If they did, when Madara got back, he would surely send out his new assassin, and they would be sitting ducks. If they kept moving, they'd still have time because he wouldn't quite be able to catch up.

The young man next to him was practically gasping for air. Kirigi quickly handed him a small flask of water, letting Saito quench his thirst a bit. Saito greedily took it and had to have gulped half of the flask. As soon as he finished downing what little liquid was left in the flask, he gasped, trying to calm his breath, and shoved the now empty flask back to the old man beside him.

Kirigi took it from his young friend, and shook it, only to find it was completely empty. He sighed, giving an annoyed look to Saito. "Come on, we've got to continue," Kirigi sighed, helping Saito up. Saito nodded and continued running with what seemed to be a guy who ran like the energizer bunny.

Naruto silently shut his office door behind him, and sighed. After the funeral, things seemed to go from great to crappy. As soon as he and Hinata got home to change, Hinata seemed to be instantly hit with some weird stomach flu. He made sure she was situated at home before leaving. Even though he loved his wife and wanted to make sure she was ok, he had a bunch of paperwork due. He had never foreseen that Hokage duties would be so demanding. He understood the Hokage was supposed to protect the village, but the unending pile of paperwork provided in order to get that job done was ridiculous.

He slowly walked over to his desk and looked at the towering pile before him. He suddenly knew that none of it would be done by a reasonable hour that night. _Well, might as well get started,_ he thought. He paused for a moment, looking around his desk, realizing that the desk had no pencil or pen on its surface what-so-ever. He cursed his disorganized nature, and started opening drawers, only finding a pack of gum and a ball of rubber bands. He gave an exasperated sigh, and opened his last drawer, hoping to god that he could find at least a crayon or something and not have to go down the hall and borrow a pen again. Instead of finding a pencil, pen, or even a crayon, there was a VHS labeled "NARUTO." He furrowed his brows and immediately became curious as to what it could be. He felt something akin to what he felt as a kid whenever he played a prank, like painting the Hokage's faces, as he pulled the video out of the drawer and snuck over to his TV and chair in the corner. He put the video into the VHS player secretively, and turned on the TV.

The TV fuzzed a little before a picture of Tsunade flicked onto the screen. Her face was completely serious, and it looked as if it was nightfall in the background. "Naruto," she said. "If you are watching this, then I would bet a winning lottery ticket that I'm dead." Naruto watched the screen shocked. _She knew she was going to die?_ He thought. "I know what you're thinking, but please pay attention to what I have to tell you. If me telling you important news falls on deaf ears because of your ADD, then I will come back from my grave and haunt you." Naruto quit contemplating about her knowledge of her death and focused on her. Even though he pretended to not believe in superstitious stuff like ghosts, ever since his mission in that haunted house with Hinata and Kiba, he had been terrified of them. Tsunade paused a moment, seeming to look through Naruto's soul to make sure he was paying attention, making him gulp nervously. "Good. The man who killed me was a man by the name of Kirigi. When I found the prophecy three years ago, I knew I was going to need to be more careful with everything. Knowing Madara was still on the loose, I felt I should have someone following his movement. Kirigi was a martial arts teacher several years ago, but went blind and lost all of his customers. But because of his blindness, he was not subject to any visual genjutsu, including the ones produced by Sharingans.

"Because of this usefulness, I asked him to find Madara, and join him. That way I could keep tabs on him. Kirigi was always faithful and gave great information. Before the attack, he gave me a heads up that he and his partner were to be sneaking into Konoha to get the prophecy. I gave them a false one. Because he would give Madara a false prophecy, his time should be almost up for spying on Akatsuki. Don't be surprised if you see him come back to Konoha. And when he does, don't treat him badly for killing me. He only did so because I told him to in order to sell his role as a true Akatsuki member to his partner, and to keep his partner away from creating a massacre. He really is a hero and not a murderer as you probably thought he was before you watched this. Please, if you have men on watch for them, call them off. There is no reason he should be killed for saving the village and being such a valuable asset.

"This is all I had to inform you of. Take care of Konoha. I don't want to see you any time soon. Good luck," Tsunade smiled and waved. Then the screen went fuzzy again, leaving Naruto looking at it dumbfounded.

_Ts-Tsunade was a sacrifice?_ He asked himself. Suddenly, it made a little sense to him. There was no way Tsunade could have been beaten so easily. The static from the television set was starting to annoy him, so he quickly turned off the player and TV, and started to make his way back to his desk.

Suddenly, a knock on the door made him stop. "Come in," he called to whoever was behind the door. It squeaked a little on its hinges as it opened. Roxanne walked through it, a somber look adorning her features. "Yes, what is it?" he asked her, making his way back to his chair, only to find as he sat down the pile of papers in front of him completely obstructed his vision. He quickly shoved them aside, shaking his head lightly at the utter silliness of the moment. He straightened himself out, and looked at her completely serious.

"Hidan's back," Roxanne replied.

Naruto's face didn't alter at all, except he blinked a bit.

Kankuro was walking around the Subaku suite silently. Yukina was currently taking a nap, letting Kankuro finally get some time to think about everything. Too bad whenever he was alone with his thoughts, he was reminded of Matsuri. A glimpse of his own daughter was sometimes difficult to bear because she reminded him so much of her. Even when he was alone, his mind instantly replayed her death in his head, his daughter basically being shoved into his hands before the nurses rushed back to help the doctors.

"Hey, Gaara," Cordi whispered, sitting next to Gaara on his bed. He silently raised his brows as if to ask _what?_ "Is it just me, or does Kankuro seem really depressed?"

"He's been like that ever since Matsuri died," Gaara stated, no real emotion in his voice, except resigned worry.

Cordi was silent for a little bit, watching Kankuro do nothing in particular in the lounge area. "Well," Cordi sighed, "he needs to get back on the horse." Gaara gave her a confused look as if to tell her to explain. "He should start dating again. How long has it been since he went out on one date?" He stayed silent, not really remembering when his brother went out on a date. It had been a couple years since Kankuro had even mentioned a girl. "Exactly," Cordi stated. "He needs to get back out there. He might say he's not ready, but he needs it."

"How do you propose we get him to go on a date?" Gaara asked incredulously.

"Blind double," she suggested. He gave her another confused look. "You tell him he's going to go on a date with you and me. Don't tell him we won't actually be going, though."

"Alright," Gaara nodded, "but who can we find to date him?"

That was the question. She ran through the list of girls she knew from the show, but they were either taken or related. Hinata was married to Naruto. Ino was dating Chouji, she found out a couple days ago. And Sakura was starting to get serious with Lee. Tenten flashed through her mind, but she remembered Kankuro saying something about her being really annoying, which Cordi agreed somewhat with. And she could also vaguely remember something about her getting engaged to some baker. Matsuri was obviously dead, and Temari was definitely out of the picture. Shizune, she'd be too stuck up. Anko, a little too hyper. Konohamaru's friend, WAY too young.

So, Cordi started to contemplate her own friends. Rox had Shikamaru, and had that established ever since she saw him in real life. Ronni and Kiba were pretty serious. Ever since he got back, they had been joined at the hip. When Cordi saw Lynne at the funeral, she and Sasuke had been abnormally buddy-buddy. Cordi shivered in disgust when a thought popped up in her mind about what Lynne and Sasuke were doing in their spare time alone. Then Fred. Cordi stopped at her.

Fred was an awesome person who was really easy to talk to. She had a gift for always knowing what to say to make someone feel better, and was great with advice. Both Fred and Kankuro were artists. And Fred had been complaining the last couple years about how everyone was paired off, except her. Fred tended to like guys like Kankuro, which was strange, because most people don't. She was the kind of girl that when they were kids watching Yu Yu Hakusho, her favorite character was Kuwabara. Kankuro was very similar; kind of creepy and annoying when you meet him, but once you get to know him, he turns out to be a really cool guy. She also vaguely remembered back to when they met, Kankuro had eyed her a bit, so there was some attraction there. Why not?

"I think I got someone. She'll be pretty easy to convince, too," Cordi smiled. "Make the date tonight, at let's say 7:00?"

"Sure, but it's 2:30 now. You better get going to talk to the date. And I need to find Temari to babysit Yukina," Gaara stated. Cordi nodded and smiled at him.

"Well, then I guess I'll get going," Cordi laughed, leaning towards him and brushing her lips lightly against his. She was going to leave him with just that, when he grabbed her head and pushed his lips against hers, inhaling her sent. He opened his lips slightly and bit her lower lip as gently, but sensually, as possible. She smiled into his lips, and opened her mouth slightly, letting his tongue slip in and massage hers gently. She placed a hand at the nape of his neck, her fingers slowly traveling into his crimson red hair. She felt his free arm wrap itself around her waist as he broke away, trailing small kisses across her cheek, to her jaw line, and trace the line back to her mouth. Her other hand had found its way into his hair, racing through his red forest. He almost urged her to lay down with him and continue their little make-out session, when she tightened her grasp on his hair and forced him to pull away. He did, but he didn't look pleased about it, and he voiced his opinion on it with a dissatisfied growl or grunt. "I've got to go," Cordi reminded him, giving him a small peck on the lips, before puzzling her way out of his embrace. His eyes followed her, knowing that tonight he was going to finish what had just started.

Fred had decided to hang out with Cherokee until night began to fall. Somehow she had convinced Cherokee to stay still to let her draw her. "Are you almost done?" Cherokee growled.

"Hush," Fred ordered. She looked at the picture she had so far, it definitely caught her dragon's elegance in it. But it was just a line drawing with some of the shading in her tail and neck done. "I'm just doing the shading right now, which shouldn't take long," she added, going back to her sketch.

_Well, apparently Saryu wanted to talk about something, and you know how he is with patience,_ Cherokee groused through their mental bond. Fred stopped, resting her hand on the paper. Everyone had ditched her after the funeral. Roxanne was nowhere to be seen, probably still with Shikamaru considering the way his mother looked afterwards. It was no secret that Mrs. Nara loathed the eldest Turner. And Lynne was off with Sasuke, and knowing how Lynne was about Sasuke beforehand, she was pretty sure she knew what they were up to. Her own sister was off with Kiba, somewhat understandably. Over the past two years, Ronni had thought of nothing other than the dog boy. And Ronni had never stayed away from a guy she liked that long before. Why wouldn't she want to catch up? And Cordi. Fred had no idea what Cordi was up to. She figured it had something to do with Gaara, only because ever since they got back, both of them had been all lovey-dovey, or as she sometimes called "We" people. Now her own dragon wanted to leave because she needed to talk to Saryu.

Fred pinched the bridge of her nose, and clenched her eyes shut. "Fine, go," she sighed, not looking at Cherokee. "I can shade without you." Cherokee nodded, and took off into the sky. Fred sighed, looking at the empty forest opening she sat in. She was completely alone. "Great," she muttered to herself.

"Aw, cheer up," she heard Cordi drawl behind her. She whipped around to see her leaning on a nearby tree. "I've been looking for you for a while," she stated, walking forward.

"Why?" Fred asked cautiously.

"Because," Cordi laughed, "you have a date at 7:00."

Fred shot her a confused look. "**You** … are setting **me** on a blind date?" Fred asked, the disbelief from what just came out of her mouth obvious in her tone.

"Yeah," Cordi laughed. "It's completely backwards, isn't it?" Fred just nodded. Normally Cordi and Roxanne had issues landing guys, so they rarely went on dates. Fred and Ronni usually had to set them up. It didn't always work out, but that was the usual order of their world. Now Cordi was setting Fred up. It just seemed so backwards.

"What's his name?" Fred asked.

"That would be telling. I will say he is a native of this world, though," Cordi baited.

"Well, no shit, Sherlock," Fred groused, glaring at the younger Turner. Cordi chuckled at her. "What guy in this world isn't from it?"

"Good point," Cordi conceded. "It's just, you've been complaining the last couple years about how you don't know anyone here, and you don't have a guy, because you didn't watch the show or read the comic. Now, I'm lending you a branch."

Fred frowned at her. "Well is he a major character or a minor?" she asked, still frowning.

"Middle character," Cordi stated. "He's on and off depending on the arc." Then Cordi's face showed that she realized Fred was just stalling and she frowned. "Come on, we got to get you ready. Believe it or not, he needs the date more than you." Fred grimaced at that. _Oh dear. She set me up with a desperate guy. Fuck my life._ Fred thought regretfully. But she followed her friend back to her apartment to get some nice clothes on for her date.

Kirigi and Saito stopped once more to catch their breath. They had been running for hours and hours on end. They had been out of water since Saito drank the last of it around noon. It was now rounding on six, and they were parched from the exercise. They were going to be at Konoha in a couple hours, but their bodies were starting to feel neglected from the lack of hydration. They needed to find a stream quickly and keep moving.

Kirigi focused on his hearing, trying to see if he could locate a body of clean water anywhere. Faintly, he could hear the tinkling of flowing water several meters away. "Come on," Kirigi urged. Saito didn't reply, just panted. The entire run to Konoha, the riveting conversation between them had consisted of silence. Saito wasn't one for talking too much. He was more the intellectual type, which Kirigi rarely found in today's time. It was refreshing, but sometimes Kirigi really wished Saito would say something profound, which was usual whenever he did say something. Kirigi sighed, and grabbed Saito's arm, dragging him to the creek he had located. As they reached it, he lightly dropped Saito, letting him grab a drink. He heard Saito cup his hands, collect water in them, and slurp it up several times. Kirigi did the same, and decided to fill their flask quickly before running off. Who knew when they would need it again.

"Are we there yet?" Saito asked, the first words he said the entire trip. Kirigi was slightly taken aback by them.

Kirigi gave a breathy laugh and replied, "I'm sorry, but no. I give us another two or three hours. But we really need to get moving. We don't Madara catching up to us." He could hear Saito nod by the rustling of his clothes and hair. Then he heard Saito stand up and stretch his limbs a little, keeping the blood flowing and the muscles relaxed.

"Then we'd better get going," Saito sighed. Kirigi smiled and nodded, standing up next to his young comrade. They then started up their run for refuge in Konoha.

"What about this one?" Fred asked, holding up a light pink dress reaching her knee. Cordi looked at it and pursed her lips. "Ok, no, then," Fred sighed, tossing the dress in the steadily growing pile of rejections on the bed.

"We have an hour to get you there. Wear … why not wear what you wore to Ronni's and my graduation?" Cordi asked, shrugging at the option. "Do you have it with you?"

"Yes," Fred stated, rummaging through her closet. "Ah-hah! Found you!" She laughed victoriously holding up a lacy brown top and dark brown bohemian skirt. She quickly changed out of her jeans and t-shirt, and rummaged through her drawers for a white camisole. Once she found one, she put it on hastily, then slipped the lacy brown top over it. As soon as she put her skirt on, she went over to the bathroom and finished her hair and make-up in about fifteen minutes. While she was in there, she called over to Cordi "Hey, can you grab my brown heals? They should be on the closet floor somewhere."

"Sure," Cordi muttered, walking over to the closet and kneeling to look through the mass of shoes. Eventually, she found the ones Fred had asked for, and walked them over to her friend. Fred smiled as she put the last touches on her make-up and slipped on her shoes. The smile gracing her face turned from innocent to evil in an instant.

"Your turn," She stated. They still had forty-five minutes to get to the date. Why not?

"What? No," Cordi began to protest, but Fred already had her in her grasp, along with make-up.

"If I'm going on a date, you are too," Fred explained, putting the base on Cordi's face. Cordi scowled at her. "You know, if you don't neutralize your face for me, you're going to turn out uglier than necessary." Cordi gawked at her friends harsh words. "There we go," Fred smiled, grabbing her jaw in a tight grip, holding Cordi's head in place and contorting Cordi's face slightly by pushing each of her lip's corners together.

"You know," Cordi sighed through Fred's grip, "this is a little ridiculous."

"Shut up," Fred ordered, pulling out the blush. "You should know, every artist needs their canvas. You volunteered when you set me up on a blind date without asking first," She stated as she glided the brush along Cordi's cheek bones, putting some color on the otherwise pale face. Cordi sighed. She hated anyone doing her make-up.

As soon as Fred finished with the blush, she moved onto the eyes. She whipped out her eye-shadows, mascara, and eye-liner. Cordi inwardly groaned at this. Fred knew very well that Cordi hated having make-up done for her for this precise reason. Fred was the first one who ever tried putting eye-make-up on Cordi so many years ago, and it was more difficult and frustrating than playing Budokai with Rox, who always played Vegeta and produced almost instantaneously a Galick-Gun every time Fred got out a decent Wolf-Fang Fist. But that was beside the point. The point was Cordi and eye-make-up never went hand in hand.

She readied her eye-shadow brush, and started to brush along Cordi's eye-lid. Subconsciously, Cordi squeezed her eyes shut, making Fred stop. "Unclench," Fred ordered. Cordi complied, but could only do so much. Fred let out a disgruntled sigh and growled, "Could you stop flinching and fidgeting your eyebrows?"

"Sorry, habit," Cordi sighed, trying as hard as possible to relax her eye-lids.

As soon as the eye-shadow was done, Cordi opened her eyes and blinked several times. Then she saw the next third of the torture, Cordi's worst enemy, the eye-liner pencil. Cordi looked on in fear as Fred brought the pencil closer and closer to her eyes. "Look up," Fred ordered. Cordi did, but the blinking started up. "Quit it," Fred ordered again.

"I'm sorry, but in case you've forgotten from the thousands of times I've told you whenever you've tried this, someone other than myself applying eye-liner to my eyes tends to **tickle**." Cordi snapped, which was rather funny, considering her face was still in a vice-grip.

But Fred was able to keep her composure and focus on the eye-liner, but didn't fail to add, "And you know that I think that this tickling you is abnormally weird, but then again, I have to remind myself that it's you, and the world is right again. Bite your lip or something."

"I would," Cordi growled, "if you didn't have them puckered like this."

Fred pursed her lips then added, "Maybe I just don't want you squelching on your payment for my blind date." Cordi sighed in annoyance again. Fred tried again with the eye-liner, but Cordi began to flinch and fidget again as soon as Fred began to glide the pencil along her eyelash line. Cordi sighed again several times; trying to keep the horrible sensation tickling gave her down. "Would you quit it?" Fred growled. Cordi just scowled, not dignifying her with a response.

Fred finished with the eye-liner, ignoring Cordi's scowl. "Now, time for mascara," Fred smiled, holding the tube in her palm, and unscrewing the top with her thumb and index finger. As soon as she got the brush free, she pulled Cordi's face closer, making Cordi jerk away. With lightning speed, Fred applied the black ink to Cordi's upper lashes, just holding it still and letting Cordi do all the work by flinching and blinking. Using that method was way quicker than trying to brush against Cordi's incessant flinching. With both eyes done, she put the mascara away and rummaged through her bag, still holding Cordi's face in place. "Aha!" she exclaimed, finally finding what she was looking for. A tube of lipstick that was a dark rose color. "Pucker," she ordered as she pulled the lid off the tube.

"You're already puckering them," Cordi stated, glaring at the brunette holding her jaw. Fred rolled her eyes, and twisted the red stick up until it reach just past the opening. She then brushed the stick lightly against Cordi's lips, staining them a dark pink color.

"Now, mush them together," Fred ordered, twisting the stick back into place and placing the lid over it.

"You know, that would be so much easier if you let go of my face," Cordi argued. Fred consented, letting Cordi press her lips together to evenly distribute the color and massager her jaw and cheeks back to feeling. But Fred didn't give her long before grabbing her hair and the curling iron. "What the hell Fred?" Cordi snapped, but didn't run off, not wanting her hair pulled out of her scalp, or worse, her scalp to be burned.

"Yet again, if I'm going on a date, so are you," Fred stated, curling a lock of Cordi's burnt-gold hair.

"Well, duh. I told Gaara that we would join you guys," Cordi lied. Originally, she had no intention to join in on the blind date. But now it seemed that there was no way out of it.

"Well, since you are going on a date too, you need to get ready," Fred explained. "Close your eyes," she ordered, shaking her hairspray can. Cordi sighed, and conceded to the rest of Fred's orders, just wanting her done. As soon as Fred finished, Cordi finally got a good look at herself in the bathroom mirror, which Fred had her facing the other way the entire time.

What she saw made her face fall. "I look like a prostitute," Cordi stated, gaping at her reflection in the mirror. Fred had put dark eye-liner and shadow on Cordi's eye-lids. Also her blush was rather loud against her pale cheeks. And Cordi's natural pouting lips weren't helped at all with the dark lipstick.

"Yup, payback's a bitch, ain't it?" Fred laughed, smiling over Cordi's shoulder. "Oh, we have less than thirty minutes to get there! We got to get going," Fred smiled evilly, yanking Cordi out of the bathroom towards the front door of her apartment.

They had been waiting for the guys to show up for about ten minutes. They had already waited at the restaurant and gotten a table, menus, and drinks. Cordi sighed, beginning to think that she would be stuck in this faux double date. "So," Cordi sighed, "how's everything going with Ronni and Kiba?"

"Pretty good apparently," Fred replied. "She told me he's taking her to a schnazzy restaurant tomorrow night, so yeah, pretty good."

Cordi's brows furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry, but Kiba and 'schnazzy' don't go together. I mean, I have issues mentally picturing him in a suit, and I saw him in one for Kankuro's wedding. Kiba just doesn't seem the suave, gentlemanly type," Cordi stated.

Fred paused then said, "Then they're doing really, really good."

Cordi contemplated the situation for a minute. "Do you think … ?" Cordi started, but then shook her head and added, "No."

"What?" Fred asked impatiently.

"Well … do you think that … that Kiba's planning to propose?" Cordi asked.

Fred just blinked at Cordi, digesting what Cordi guessed. "It's possible," Fred stated. "Oh my God, he's going to ask my little sister to marry him!"

"We don't know that yet," Cordi reassured.

"No. We do. Kiba going to a nice restaurant with my sister means a proposal," Fred fretted.

"No, it could just be a celebratory dinner that he's back," Cordi offered. Fred looked at her pondering the possibility. "Just calm down," Cordi laughed, hoping to ease her friend. Thankfully, it did so Fred didn't look like a frantic, hopeless puddle of nerves in their booth when the guys finally came by. Cordi quickly looked over Fred's shoulder to see Gaara and Kankuro had finally gotten there and were waiting with the hostess, Gaara scanning the area. Cordi raised her hand and gave them a wave giving away hers and Fred's location. They walked over to their table, Kankuro paused though to tell the hostess that he and Gaara had found the rest of their party, and then joined them at the table.

Kankuro was didn't notice Fred because the first question that popped into his head just came tumbling out of his mouth without any filter, which was, "Cordi, what attacked your face?" Gaara was somehow able to keep a stoic face, but a twitch of the corner of his mouth let Cordi know that he was smirking inwardly.

Cordi looked at Kankuro, not saying anything, looking as if she were regarding what cruel punishment she could give him, before silently pointing to Fred across the table, slowly blinking at the puppet master. Kankuro looked down, and suddenly a smile blossomed onto his face. "Oh, hey, Fred," he said casually.

"Hey," Fred smiled. She now understood what Cordi had meant what she said "This guy needs the date more than you." He wasn't desperate, his family was. But when your family's Gaara, from what she'd gathered from her younger sister's and best friends' incessant chattering about the subject back at home, then if they were desperate to get him out of the house, things must have been bad. Kankuro just never noticed what it was doing to himself.

Cordi scooted out of the booth, so Kankuro could sit across from Fred, planning to jump back in the booth because her idea of leaving them alone on their date had fallen through. But as soon as she was about to sit back down, the hostess walked up to Gaara and handed him a folded piece of paper saying, "A message just came for you, Lord Kazekage." Gaara grasped the paper, and nodded, dismissing her back to her post. Quickly, he opened the message, a slight scowl playing on his features.

"What is it Gaara?" Cordi asked, eyeing him curiously.

"Naruto wants to discuss something with you and me," he answered, speaking directly to Cordi, although not looking at her directly. "It's probably nothing, but we should go see what it is." He pocketed the paper quickly, adding "Sorry, but we'll have to do this another time." With that, he quickly turned and started to walk out.

Cordi shot both Fred and Kankuro a confused and apologetic look and said, "Sorry. Don't wait up. I have a feeling this might take longer than Gaara thinks." With that, Cordi gave them a wave and jogged up Gaara, trying to catch up and fall into pace with him. "What did Naruto say exactly?" Cordi asked worried. Gaara dug his hand back into his pocket and fished out the paper, handing it to Cordi without even looking at her. She quickly un-folded it to find it said …. nothing. The piece of paper was completely blank. Cordi flipped it over to see if she was looking at the wrong side, but the other was blank too. This stopped her immediately in her tracks.

Gaara rounded on her, a victorious smirk playing on his lips. "You don't think you can just leave me hanging like that, do you?" he asked, an evil glint playing in his light blue eyes, placing a hand at the nape of her neck. Quickly, he leaned in, pulling her to him a little, and brushed his lips lightly with hers, letting the sensations make her shudder in his grasp. He lightly licked her upper lip, barely letting his tongue taste her red lips, before descending onto her again, inhaling her scent. He could feel Cordi's fingers snake their way over his scalp through his unruly wine red hair. He wound his other arm around her waist as he pressed his lips against hers harder, brushing his tongue against hers, trying to lure it into him. She was following his directions until her stomach growled loudly. They broke away, Cordi laughing.

"What a way to kill the moment," she giggled, embarrassment obvious from the blood rushing to her cheeks. Gaara just gave her an expression she couldn't register. It was somewhere between confusion and adoration.

He looked up, a small chuckle escaping his lips before he said, "Come on. I've got a surprise." Cordi frowned at him, pretty sure he knew her view on surprises, but she let it go, and followed him. They reached a tall building, where Gaara gathered his sand and hovered them to the top, where there was a small thing of food set up on a bench. Cordi instantly recognized it from the comics and the show as Shikamaru's childhood cloud watching spot.

"Uhm, Gaara?" Cordi asked uneasily, as he hopped off his little sand cloud onto the roof top. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Cordi asked before hastily adding, "I mean, considering the last time."

Gaara pursed his lips and then stated, "Neither of us is inebriated this time. I think we should be fine." Cordi shrugged, smiling at the redhead. The smell of the food lulled her closer to the bench, where Gaara sat, hunger taking over her mind. She sat down, letting the scents of the foods prepared infiltrate her senses. There was a small basket of warm rolls, mingling with the scent of the two plates steaks. And for desert, chocolate covered strawberries. Cordi was already practically salivating. Gaara smiled at Cordi's reaction of his idea. He had never been able to really cook, so Temari was nice enough to prepare the meal and deliver it early. That's why Gaara and Kankuro were running a bit late. Gaara wanted to check out the set up for their date beforehand.

Remembering the last time they had been on a roof together, he handed Cordi a bottle of water, which she took, chuckling. The dinner would have most likely been more elegant with wine, but neither of them trusted themselves enough not to get in the same situation given the chance. Cordi noticed that Gaara had also brought forks and knives for the steaks, which made her wonder why they still used chopsticks, but she pushed the thought aside, cutting into the tender, juicy meat. The steak tasted phenomenal, which Cordi voiced with as surprised, "Wow." Gaara nodded his agreement with her short statement.

"Temari should make this more often," Gaara stated, eyeing his steak. Cordi nodded, cutting another piece.

The dinner was rather silent since Gaara and Cordi left. Neither Fred nor Kankuro knew exactly what to say to start a conversation with the other. "… So …" Fred drawled, trying to think of a good question to ask. "How's life?" was the only one that popped in her head that seemed worthy to ask.

"Good," he replied, nodding as if to reaffirm what he said. "You?"

"I'm good, too," Fred replied. And then back to the silence. _Oh, this is pitiful._ Fred thought.

_Why don't you try talking about something you're interested in and see if he bites?_ Cherokee asked.

Fred inwardly scowled and replied, _Fine time for you to finally be listening in._

_Hey, I told you I had a meeting with Saryu,_ Cherokee growled.

_Yeah, how did it go?_ Fred asked.

_One. It's none of your business. And Two. You're on a date. Shouldn't you be talking to … oh I don't know, your date?_ Cherokee stated. Fred inwardly sighed, her dragon was right. She felt bad that she was basically ignoring Kankuro to discuss Cherokee and Saryu. What was wrong with her.

_Fine, I'll see if he bites,_ Fred replied, silencing the connection to focus on her date.

"Recently, I've been trying to draw. I'm a little out of practice because of the training, but it's coming back to me," Fred said, hoping Kankuro could find something in there to talk about.

"You draw?" Kankuro asked.

_Score!_ Fred cheered in her mind. She smiled and nodded. "More than that. I was and art major before we got here. I'm really good at painting and sculpting too. Back home, I made a clay mime that people wanted to buy off me. But I liked it too much, so it's probably still in my old room," Fred stated.

"Well, I'm not really good, but I've been known to doodle from time to time," Kankuro said, a hint of hopefulness in his voice. Probably hoping that doodling was good enough in her book.

"Well, I see you also paint," Fred smiled. "I almost always see you with some sort of purple pattern on your face." Yes, things were starting to pick up. It wasn't just the awkward silence broken from time to time with a question of courtesy and a small "Yeah," as the reply. They were actually talking. Throughout the dinner talked about art, and when that subject had dried up, they moved onto what Fred's world was like, what her home was like. She told him about all the cows on their old farm, along with fun little anecdotes, like the one time Fred, Ronni, Rox, and Cordi were almost trampled to death by them because they had gotten a bunch of apples from their little orchard behind the barn. Kankuro seemed to find that story amusing and told her that a similar thing had happened to Naruto during the Chuunin exams, but no one really knew why he was being chased. Fred inquired about Suna. She had never been to a desert, and everything he said about his home was so interesting and different than what she was used to. They ordered a slice of pie for desert, sharing it because they were both almost full.

It was only after fifteen minutes waiting for their check did Gaara and Cordi get back to the table. Fred's and Kankuro's eyes instantly narrowed at the sight of the younger couple. Gaara's hair was if possible, more unruly than it was when they had left, as was Cordi's. Both of their lips had stains from Cordi's lipstick smudged along their lips. And their clothes were slightly disheveled.

"Fair to say Naruto didn't want to talk to you, did he?" Fred stated, looking at the both of them.

Cordi blushed, but pointed at Gaara and lip-synced, "His idea." That didn't go unnoticed by Gaara, who shot Cordi a raised eyebrow. She just grinned at him innocently. Kankuro just scowled at the both of them, trying hard to not let out a satisfied smirk. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that they were never on their way to see the Hokage.

Kirigi and Saito finally made it to the Konoha around ten thirty at night, and talked to Naruto about what had happened. Kirigi explained Saito's situation, which Naruto took under consideration, but said he'd have it looked at in the morning. Naruto trusted Kirigi somewhat now that Tsunade told him what happened, but he still wanted to have his bases covered. He sent them to a place they could stay the night, and asked a couple ANBU to watch them incase anything happened after Kirigi and Saito had left.

The next morning, they woke up early enough to get ready for their meeting. Kirigi and Saito walked down to Naruto's office, but Kirigi didn't stay long. As soon as they got there, he excused himself and walked down, leaving Naruto and Saito looking after him oddly. Kirigi didn't notice. He silently trudged out of the building and down the road to the cemetery. It didn't take him too long to find what he was looking for. As soon as he found it, he knelt, placing a hand on the gravestone. His thumb trailed lightly over the name "Tsunade" gently and lovingly.

"It wasn't supposed to turn out this way," he muttered, grimacing at the headstone. A silent tear found its way down his cheek. Just one was all he'd let out, though.

Lynne had walked in behind him, listening to all his memories of him and Tsunade. When Naruto had woken her last night and explained things to her about Kirigi and Saito, she was surprised at first, but now seeing him hunched over her grave, she understood.

"Did you love her?" Lynne asked quietly, unsure if she'd scare him away.

Kirigi didn't say anything, but slowly nodded, his hand curling into a fist. She realized he was having issues forgiving himself, so she walked over to him and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. She hoped someday he could forgive himself, but she seriously doubted that it would happen any time soon.


	31. Part 2: Chapter 9

**AN:** Alright. I was so happy that my writing had reached over 250 pages, so I told my mom that, and she decided to look at it because she couldn't believe. She also has a talent for writing, but she is having issues getting past 30 pages, I think is the count. Then she looked at it and was completely surprised, because I didn't have my document set up like traditional documentation of books, like if I ever wanted to publish this. I had it single spaced. So my mom had me traditionalize it into double space last night, and the actual count of pages for my story is – drumroll!!! – 390 pages. And that last chapter was actually 27 pages instead of 18 pages. . haha. Just thought I'd share that story with you guys! Now, I would have posted this last night, but I was WAY too tired to do so. So here it is! Please review!

WAIT!!! I forgot to mention this! Last chapter, Shikamaru had a memory bit which seemed choppy, compared to my normal writing. I did that on purpose. I wanted it to mimic this Shikamaru AMV my sis and I found over the summer. Here it is, and (p)= period, because they can't just make it simple and let us post links.

http://www (p) youtube (p) com/watch?v=iO2TyphLCQM

And my sis wanted to make sure you all knew what exactly everyone looked like. I had asked her when I started writing this last June to draw for it if it becomes popular, which it has, thanks All!!! Anyway, here are her pictures.

Cordi: http://windgoddess08 (p) deviantart (p) com/art/Cordelia-from-Legendaries-142638735

Roxanne: http://windgoddess08 (p) deviantart (p) com/art/Roxanne-from-Legendaries-142638463

Lynne: http://windgoddess08 (p) deviantart (p) com/art/Lynne-from-Legendaries-142640834

I'll tell you when she finishes the other two, she's working on them now. . And GrimSpeck18 told me she would also do fan art for my story when I told her my idea for Legendaries and asked her for some insight on Sasuke, because I'm basically Sasuke's biggest hater. But because she's one of my besties and she's obsessed with Sasuke and Itachi, I deal. Yes, I will say it again. Sasuke is only in this story because of my good graces. If I had my way, Gaara would be Sand Coffin-ing that boy until Kingdom come. Haha, anyway. The first one she drew, but let me color, because I may not be much in the drawing department, but since Junior year, GrimSpeck, my shading skill on my coloring pages has many people asking me if I'm an Art major. So, here is the colored version of Sasuke.

http://rose91 (p) deviantart (p) com/art/Legendaries-Sasuke-Uchiha-22-140931194

And then she had one of her friends draw a Sasuke/Lynne piece if you're a fan of that pairing!

Black and White: http://fox4859 (p) deviantart (p) com/art/Sasuke-OC-commission-146157137

Color: http://torafox (p) deviantart (p) com/art/Sasuke-and-Lynne-146190536

And she did one of her version of Lynne:

http://torafox (p) deviantart (p) com/art/Lynne-Attacks-146292806

I drew three of the dragons over the summer, I just didn't put them up. . So far, it's just Aleera, Gryffin, and Nessie drawn. And I also drew all of five of the girls too, but I didn't put that up either. I'm looking at it now, and it kind of looks like crap anyway. . I also have some other characters drawn that you won't see for awhile, so I'm not posting those up, because then the story might be given away. .

If any of you other readers are artistically inclined and want to draw your fave character from here (like grown up Shikamaru … but he looks the same, so that wouldn't work. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Sasuke from this story would work), that would be cool. Just send me a link, and I will post it for the other readers to be able to view if you want me too. Anyway, that took way longer than expected! Enjoy the chapter!

And to GrimSpeck18, I MISS YOU TOO!!!! I miss waking you up only to have you yell at me that you have a migraine! I miss playing the Pirates MMORPG with you and Mary when we should have been studying for exams! I miss discussing story ideas with you, including Cascaria, which btw, YOU NEED TO WRITE!!!! I miss having Mr. Trani glare at us for having "Too much fun" at dinner. I miss talking about Dr. Stumpo's ridiculously "Stumpotized" stories. I miss dyeing your hair in the bathroom having the Dorm parents give us crazy looks, especially when we dyed it red and it looked like we scalped you. I miss playing Pokemon with you and Mary, and discussing battle tactics. My family misses how nerdy we all got in the theater with Iron Man, and hoping we can do that again this year!

And to Thomas Drovin, Just one experiment, but it's bad enough. You should never use a fellow human as a guinea pig. As for Tsunade, what was she going to do, abandon her friend to be either killed by Madara or Konoha? No, she's more loyal than that. And if you got Hinata's sickness, good for you. I'm not entirely explaining it until the next chapter. I'm glad that this has made up for everything! ^.~

And to PrincessSayaka, You always love love love love love. ^.^

And to Dantesfreezer, Haha, yeah, I thought it put a little more personality in my characters. BUT, if you didn't notice, there was a DBZ reference when Rox lost her memory, too. And I never noticed the parallel of Yu Yu Hakusho you pointed out. I mean, yeah, that's where I got the name, more because I 3 Hiei and Yukina's his sister. But the whole Kuwabara thing was based on where Kankuro was in the Naruto Fave character list. Apparently, he's ranked #30. Haha, and Kuwabara doesn't have as many fans last I checked. That could just be my opinion though.

And to Me and Gaara 4eva, I like to think of them as cute together too! ^.~ And here is more.

And to Gaaras1Girl, Yeah, Kirigi's life pretty much sucks, and almost together. Remember, Kankuro is in Suna, anchored down by his daughter, and Fred is in Konoha and she can't always leave. And long distance relationships suck too. Keep those in account.

And to Azura Soul Reaver, glad you thought so.

I wanna thank the newbie alerter. Riss737, thanks and welcome to the family!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi, Saito, belong to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Although, I did take some creative liberties with Saito, Thomas. Thanks a bunch!!!

**Chapter Nine: By My Side**

"Ah, there you are," Naruto sighed, finally seeing Lynne walk in. It had taken her a while to get there for some odd reason, but now he was just happy to see her. Saito sat in the corner nervously. He had no idea what was about to happen. But both ignored his worried glances. "I have a special case that needs tending to," Naruto stated.

"A special case?" Lynne repeated, not really understanding what he meant.

"That comic you used to read in your world centered around me … how far did it go?" Naruto asked curiously, leaning on his desk and staring her down.

"Well, it reached about where Gaara met up with you after the Five Kages' meeting, well, at least before we left, that is. Why?" Lynne asked.

Naruto smiled. "So then you know Madara's plan, correct?" he inquired, hoping she did.

"You mean about putting everyone under a genjutsu and playing God?" Lynne stated, unsure though if that's what he was talking about.

"That would be the plan," Naruto smiled. "This man, Saito, was brought here with Kirigi." Lynne instantly tensed as he said this. "Although, according to Kirigi that is, Saito is very different from the other Akatsuki members. For some reason, he always seemed like a sheep in wolves clothing to Kirigi. His feelings were right. Before Kirigi escaped, he overheard Madara say something along the lines of Saito being his guinea pig for his genjutsu plan."

"So," Lynne drawled, "you want me to what?"

"If it's possible, could you remove it from him?" Naruto requested. She gave him a confused look as if to ask "Why me?" "I've found that this genjutsu is very different from others and can't be fixed by a simple 'release,' due to the fact that it's from the sharingan. I figured with your power over spirit and mind, you could help him get out of it."

Lynne furrowed her brows at him, then nodded. She had never used her power over spirit like this, and some part of her doubted it would work. "You might want to stay back," she warned Naruto, not sure exactly what would happen.

_Saryu, if I need any help …_ she started.

_I'll lend you my power as much as I can,_ Saryu reassured.

She smiled, and took a seat in front of the young man. His black eyes darted around hurriedly and his reddish-black hair was brushed off his face unnaturally, as if he had kept running his hand through it. "Calm," Lynne urged, holding a hand out to him. She put her hand on his forehead, as if she were feeling his temperature, and she could see what Naruto meant by the complicated genjutsu. With most people under genjutsus, their mind is lightly clouded with a gray mist of sorts, changing the aura's color slightly. But it's so thin, a small shove of chakra through it can easily get rid of it. But this one was worse. Instead of a light gray film around his mind, she could see little shines of his lightning blue aura through menacing black clouds, thick and slowly drifting around his mind and aura. A small release would do nothing against it. The thickness of the genjutsu was immeasurable, showing the amount of chakra shoved into it. When she thought about it though, if Madara was making an entire world for the people's minds, it would make sense how much chakra was oozing from the black clouds.

She drilled her mind through, sifting through the clouds, searching for the lightning blue light. _Come on, it can't be this difficult,_ she sighed.

Suddenly, off in the distance she heard, _Hello? … Is anyone there?_

She wanted to call back to the voice, but she didn't want to spook him. It was very possible if she did spook him, he'd shrink back into the genjutsu a little more. Instead, she followed the direction of the voice, hoping desperately it would lead her to his aura, so she wasn't wandering blindly in the black haze.

_HELLOOOOOOOOOO!!!!_ the voice called out, but it echoed throughout his mind, making it hard to place exactly where it came from. But, good news, it was closer to her this time. She suddenly broke out into a sprint towards it, hoping to find the origins of the voice somewhere through this fog. She could feel she was almost there, but she couldn't see it just yet. The fog was brightening a little, fading from black to the lightning blue color of Saito's aura. Ignoring her tired inner-self from running, she kept running. Soon enough the entire black fog was gone and she was in the midst of Saito's aura, at least the boarder of it. It was being contained in this bubble of sorts that slowly oozed his cloudy aura out. She pressed a hand against it, feeling a strange glass-like texture, smooth and cold. She knew the voice was inside the glass-like ball, and she needed to get inside somehow. She pressed harder against it, feeling its elasticity.

Suddenly a thought ran through her mind, echoing around her. _What would happen if I punch it?_

Needless to say the voice in the bubble heard her. _Who are you? Who's there!?_ it demanded.

She stayed silent for a moment then said, _My name is Lynne. I'm here to get you out of this genjutsu._

_Is that what I'm in?_ he asked.

_Yes,_ she replied. She looked around at the bubble, then asked, _Is there any way I can get in?_

_Why would you want to get in?_ he asked incredulously. _I've been stuck in here for years. I'm not exactly sure how long, but I'm pretty sure on the outside I look like an old man. Sometimes I can escape for a few seconds but I quickly get sucked back in. I… I think that the pumpkin masked man placed me under a ninjutsu too that keeps my body awake. It's the only way no one else could have noticed._

Lynne pursed her lips. _That's very possible, then again, it could also be a part of the genjutsu. I think the genjutsu makes your mind malleable, so it's easier for Madara to control you._

_Who?_ he asked.

_The man in the pumpkin mask, his name is Madara Uchiha,_ Lynne stated. _Now, how can I demolish this bubble?_

_You can't, _he stated in a resigned tone.

_No, there must be a way, _Lynne muttered, looking around at it. _Maybe…._ She began to gather chakra in her hand and balled it into a fist. _Here goes,_ she heaved, winding her fist back before striking the bubble as hard as she could, pushing some chakra through her hand, sending ripples through the bubble's surface, making it unstable. Its massive reverberations over its surface made it so unstable, she was sure it was about to pop. _Ok, one more!_ Lynne shoved more chakra into her hand and gave it one more punch. The shockwaves from this punch were too much for the bubble to handle. It immediately burst under the pressure, its loud explosion reverberating around his mind.

_What was that?_ he asked.

_Hopefully, the sound of your freedom,_ Lynne stated, walking through. The black fog started to mingle with the light blue. This had to be quick she realized. She didn't know what would happen if the blue and black clouds completely mixed, but she was pretty sure it wasn't going to be good. Soon enough, she reached the center of the lightning blue fog and found Saito standing in the center looking around.

_Y-you got through … _he asked, not sure if it was real.

_Yeah, but we've got to go, now!_ Lynne stated, walking up to him and placing a hand on his head. She shoved as much chakra into her hand and cried, _RELEASE!!!_ What seemed like a strong wind swirled around them viciously, then like a tornado, started to siphon the black fog from around his mind. As soon as it was gone, she began to pull herself out of Saito's mind, pulling his conscience with her.

As soon as they got out, both were breathing pretty heavily. "It …. It should be …. Should be gone," Lynne stated, very short of breath.

"Nicely done," Naruto congratulated. "Now, I'll take care of Saito. I suggest you get some rest. The Jounin Exams tomorrow won't be a breeze, and getting rid of the genjutsu obviously took a bit out of you."

Lynne got up slowly, making sure she would be fine. "Yeah, I'll see you later," she sighed, before slowly walking out of Naruto's office and back to her apartment.

* * *

Kiba stood underneath Ronni's apartment, throwing pebbles at her window cheesily. On one of their earlier dates a couple years ago, though, Ronni told him she liked cheesy things, so he figured he was just fine with that. He stopped as soon as he could see her shadow in the window. Soon enough, she was running down the stairs and into his arms happily. They spun around a little bit, just happy to be together again. She wore a blue cocktail dress with a squared neckline, showing off her cleavage fashionably, with straps that fanned out over her shoulders. The silhouette followed her figure until her hips, where it gently fanned around her legs, ending just above her knees. And she had on strappy black sandals with two and a half inch heels. She did nothing to her hair, except put it half back, and she didn't put on much make-up, but just enough for Kiba.

Kiba wore a black blazer, black dress pants, and shiny black shoes. He had a white dress shirt underneath his blazer, un-tucked and the top button undone. He wasn't one for ties anyway. His hair was combed, as if he tried to tidy it up somewhat, but failed miserably.

He put her down on the ground admiring her. Both of their hands were fastened together, and neither were about to let go of the other. She smiled at him, not needing any words to express how happy she was to see him. He knew how she felt because he felt the same thing.

"We should get going, the sun's about to set. We don't want to be late for dinner," Kiba stated sheepily. He was obviously nervous about something, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She shrugged it off and looped her arm through his.

They walked for a couple minutes toward the center of Konoha, before Kiba asked nervously, "So … that dress … where did you find it on such short notice?"

"Oh," Ronni sighed, looking down at her dress. "I hassled Lynne and Rox into helping me find one last night, because my sister and Cordi weren't in. Do you like it?"

"It's very flattering," he replied.

"Thanks," she smiled. It was silent for another moment, his nervousness hanging heavy in the air. "Is there something I should know?" she asked worriedly. He was starting to make her nervous with how quiet he was being.

"What?" he asked rather shocked. "N-no," he stuttered. "No, why would you think that?"

"Well," she shrugged, "you're being so quiet, more than usual. It's making me a little nervous."

He gave her a goofy smile and said, "There is nothing you need to worry about. I'm just really happy to see you."

"Me, too," she replied, holding onto his arm I little tighter and placing her head on his shoulder.

They finally reached the restaurant, and everything was nice in there. The hostesses wore all black, a lot of the people were in cocktail attire, and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. In the darker corners, candles either hung on the wall or sat on the table, giving it a warm romantic feel. "We have a reservation," Kiba told the hostess.

"Name?" she asked.

"Inuzuka," he stated, grasping Ronni's hand and giving it a small squeeze.

The hostess smiled, picking up two menus. "This way," she stated. She led them to a small, cozy booth in the back that was lit by candlelight. She set the menus down, smiled at them and said, "I hope you both enjoy your meal," before walking back to her post at the front of the restaurant.

Both of them sat down, holding hands over the table and both thumbing the other's. Shortly after sitting down, a waiter came up and asked, "Is there any drink I could get you?"

"A bottle of white wine, please," Kiba ordered. The waiter nodded, then left to fetch the bottle. He quickly returned with the bottle and placed it into a bucket of ice. "Thank you," Kiba nodded to the waiter. The waiter gave a polite smile, then left the two to their date.

Somewhere halfway through the date, Kiba was getting suspiciously nervous. His hands were getting clammy, and it was bothering Ronni … a lot. She figured she was probably going to find out later, and he didn't want to be bothered by her questioning it yet. She realized he was probably feeling anxious without Akamaru by his side. Those two never parted ways, and this restaurant probably didn't allow animals. It made sense that he would feel that way.

"Where's Akamaru?" Ronni asked, hoping that would ease his mind a little bit.

Kiba shot her a nervous smile and replied, "Funny you should ask that." He looked over Ronni's shoulder toward the back door and nodded. Ronni turned around to see Akamaru trotting through happily. Akamaru walked up beside Kiba, who patted him gently before pulling something tied onto Akamaru's collar free. Ronni looked at it oddly. It was a small black box. Kiba gently grabbed Ronni's hand and sighed. "Ever since you left two years ago… well things just haven't been right. I've constantly thought about you. I've imagined you coming back to Konoha a million times. I've imagined how you'd have changed and how you'd have stayed the same. You became my whole understanding of the world. So much so that it started to annoy my friends. I-I've never felt like this with anyone before. And because of this … I-I knew that whenever I saw you again … I had to ask you this," he explained. He slowly got out of the booth, black box in hand. He kept hold of her hand as he stood next to the table, then slowly knelt next to her. Ronni lost her breath. "Will you marry me?" Kiba asked, slowly opening the black box to present a rather modest, but beautiful, diamond ring. Every fear of her rejection was shown on his face.

Suddenly, she broke out into a smile. "YES!!" She squealed, jumping out of her booth and tackling Kiba to the ground. Kiba relaxed and a huge grin broke out on his face. Akamaru let out a happy bark. He gave her a kiss and slipped it onto her left ring finger. "Is that why you were so nervous?" she laughed.

"Yes," he replied as if now that he thought about it, his nervousness was rather silly. They got themselves situated back into the booth.

Ronni set her left hand out in front of her, admiring the gleaming white jewel on her finger. "Oh," she sighed, "it's so beautiful. Where on Earth did you get it?"

"It was my mother's. My father died in battle when I was really young, so she kept it as a reminder of him. When she heard that I wanted to ask you to marry me, she gave it to me," Kiba shrugged.

"Oh, I must thank her. I can't believe her ring size is the same as mine," Ronni stated surreally.

"I'm a bit surprised about that too," Kiba stated, grasping her hand and looking at the ring. He let her go and poured them both a flute of wine. "To our future together," Kiba toasted. Ronni smiled, picking up her glass and tapped her flute to his. Both took sips, smiling at the other, happy for what was to come.

* * *

It took forever to get everything sorted out with Saito, and wouldn't you know right after, Naruto would be handed a HUGE stack of paperwork. It was nearing nine o'clock at night, and Naruto knew he'd have to go back home soon, otherwise he was going to be in no position to judge the Jounin exams the next day due to lack of sleep. He filed the paperwork he finished and stretched his cramping back from sitting at his desk for so long. Paperwork hours and hours on end could not be healthy, not in the least. He set the last remnants of the paperwork aside, putting it off until Monday.

He walked out and locked up the office. Slowly, he waltzed down the halls toward his apartment, contemplating the exams the next day. Now that the girls were back, it was guaranteed to be a good tournament. Not that it wouldn't already, but now just finding out all their new powers had him psyched. As soon as he reached his apartment, he swung open the door, happy to be home. The first thing he saw was Hinata, looking nervous but happy at the same time.

"Hey, Hinata," Naruto sighed happily. "What's up?"

"I-I have something I have to tell you," Hinata stammered, a slight blush rushing to her cheeks. Naruto shot her a curious look. She hadn't stammered in his presence in years. He suddenly had a feeling that whatever she had to tell him, he wasn't going to get much sleep with it on his mind.

**AN:** I know, rather short chapter compared to the last one. But if I kept this chapter and the next chapter together, as was the original plan, it would be the same length as the last chapter, and you wouldn't get it for a while. . I hope you enjoyed it!


	32. Part 2: Chapter 10

**AN:** Alright, well guess what the page count is now? I have passed 400 with this chapter. Excited? I am! Anyway, enjoy! And I have a little challenge for everyone. Count how many movie or TV references I put in, and say which. I put in several, some should make some of you laugh if you've seen it.

And to Thomas Drovin, Sorry, they aren't coming yet. I have something for them, afterwards. Remember, Hidan is in little bits. They have to sew him up before anything interesting with them.

And to Dantesfreezer, Haha, um, to tell the truth. The girl who I based Ronni on is that ditzy. . And what mental imagery? You mean Sasuke and Lynne?

And to Me and Gaara 4eva, OMG! You say "Oh Snap" too?

And to Gaaras1Girl, Uhm, yeah, that is a little weird. I told my Mom and my sis what you told me in your review, and they were wierded out too. Well, all I can say is I didn't plan that, but it's interesting. . Congrats, I guess?

And to Azura Soul Reaver, Yeah, they're cute. I'm glad I got to put it up early.

And to Riss737, I'm glad you like this so much. Um, so far, Naruto, Gaara, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Kiba, and all of them are 22. Temari is 25, Kankuro is 24. Rox, Lynne, and Fred are 21. And Ronni and Cordi are 20. In part one, just subtract two years. And Yukina is almost 2.

And to Perminatly Lost in Thought, God, was it that obvious? Yes she is, but I decided to be like the anime. You know how they always say "that," like they always say "He's using _that_ jutsu." Or "It was on _that_ day." If you've never noticed it, watch it and read the comics, it's always there.

I wanna thank the newbie favoriter. Moka-Girl, thanks and welcome to the family!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi, Saito, belong to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Although, I did take some creative liberties with Saito, Thomas. Thanks a bunch!!!

**Chapter Ten: Jounin Exams Begin**

For Naruto the morning couldn't come too soon. As he predicted, the information Hinata blessed him with the night before had kept him up all night. So much so that after she went to sleep, he sat on the sofa in their living room contemplating it thoroughly. As soon as he heard the birds chirping, greeting the rising sun, he donned his Hokage robes and rummaged through his closet for his Hokage hat. He saw Hinata wake up, but she didn't get out of bed. She explained she wasn't feeling well and to tell him how everything in the tournament went. He felt bad that he was leaving her behind because he had to go watch his ninjas fight. He fetched a glass of water for her and gave her a kiss goodbye.

"I love you," he told her softly.

She smiled softly at him and said, "Love you, too." He gave her a small smile, then left, slowly walking to the battle arena, the same one used for the finals in the chuunin exams. The entire walk gave him more time to ponder what he was pondering all night. He was very grateful to get to the Kage's box and see Gaara was already there. Naruto sat down next to the Kazekage. It was rather odd to see Gaara in the Kazekage's traditional blue and white robes.

As soon as Naruto sat down, his shoulders slumped and he let out a relieved sigh. "You look tired," Gaara stated, eyeing his first friend warily. "Rough night?"

"Oh," Naruto croaked, placing his face in his hands, massaging it awake, "you have no idea."

"What happened?" Gaara asked, figuring Naruto had gone out for drinks or something and had a little too much.

Naruto paused for a minute, building suspense for Gaara, before replying, "Hinata's pregnant."

Gaara's eyes went wide. In all his years of knowing Naruto Uzumaki, Gaara had never – that's _**never**_ – been able to see Naruto as a dad. "Really?" Gaara chuckled, not really seeing the possibility of the scenario.

"Yeah," Naruto replied. "I know. It's a little …"

"Inconceivable?" Gaara offered.

Naruto paused a little bit, thinking about the word choice. "Technically," he laughed, "it was conceivable." It was silent for a moment before Naruto added, "Sorry. That was a poor excuse of a joke." Gaara nodded in agreement, not looking at the blond, thinking about his friend as a parent. Honestly, Gaara didn't think Naruto was cut out for it.

Then again, he didn't think Naruto was cut out to fight him when they were twelve either, and look what happened. It was the most interesting fight he had ever been in. No one had ever thought of striking him in the ass except Naruto, and with a bomb nonetheless. And it was that fight that changed his life for the better, something everyone thought impossible. Now that Gaara thought about it, Naruto could probably do anything he set his mind to – why should parenting be any different?

Granted, Naruto was rather immature, even to this day, he seemed to have retained some of his childish personality. But maybe that would be the quality that would make him be a great parent. Gaara's own father had lost contact with his inner child. Even Temari and Kankuro agreed he wasn't very capable at connecting with them as children. And Kankuro was still rather childish at times, and he seemed to be doing great handling Yukina. So maybe Naruto's slight immaturity would be his saving grace, but Gaara honestly had no idea.

"Congratulations, I guess," Gaara stated, not really knowing what to say to his friend in that situation. Naruto just nodded silently. "Well," Gaara laughed, "that's another thing you've done before I have."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at him. "Is the council still pestering you about finding a Kougou?"

"Yes," he sighed.

"I don't get it. Why do they want you to find a wife so quickly?" Naruto asked. "Wouldn't that tie you down or something?"

Gaara let out a harsh bark. "I think that's why. The council in Suna seems to be rather family based. They like the Kages to – to be somewhat settled down."

"But wasn't your father a bachelor for the longest time?" Naruto asked, knowing he was treading on thin ice with that subject.

"Widowers aren't considered bachelors to the council. They can't force the Kazekage to marry again," Gaara answered through pursed lips. Naruto just looked at him silently, understanding him a bit more. "But their main reason is to make sure I'm stable," Gaara continued. "Most of the council isn't too worried about me turning on them, but some are. They think a wife and a family will make me more – secure, I guess."

Naruto frowned and said, "I'm not entirely sure how that would work." Gaara faced him, eyes narrowed. He silently pointed to his scar to remind Naruto why he was considered unstable in the first place. "Oh, right," Naruto sighed, reminding himself about Gaara's childhood.

"Yeah," Gaara replied, thinking the topic was over.

"So," Naruto sighed, "When you gonna ask her?" Gaara shot him a confused look. He had no idea what he was talking about. "Oh, come on!" Naruto scoffed. "You're dating Cordi, and the Council is pressuring you to marry someone. That's simple math even I can do."

Gaara scowled at him. "They've been pressuring me to get married since I turned eighteen and became legal. And that would include the time I was dating Matsuri," he replied coldly. "I didn't get married to her, did I?"

Naruto pursed his lips, licking them a little before saying, "Good point, but it's different." Gaara rose a would-be eyebrow at him, as if to ask "How so?" Naruto smirked at him and stated, "I know for a fact that if you don't get married or engaged by your twenty-third birthday, the Suna council will arrange one for you." Gaara gaped at him. There was no way Naruto could know about that, not that Gaara could think of. "And that's in two months," Naruto snickered, waggling two fingers.

"Where did you hear this?" Gaara asked dangerously. He wasn't too mad by the fact Naruto knew, he just didn't like being reminded of his Kazekage conditions.

"I have my sources," Naruto grinned.

"Temari, then," Gaara guessed. She would be the only one with a reason to talk to Naruto and be well within her rights to tell Naruto such information about her brother.

Naruto pouted at Gaara. "How did you know?" he inquired.

"Come on, Naruto. It doesn't take a genius to figure that one out," Gaara stated, not looking at him. Naruto still just glared at him. Gaara was starting to feel a little uneasy with Naruto's burning glare. "What?"

"You never answered my question," Naruto stated.

Gaara frowned at him. He understood why Naruto was asking. Cordi was Gaara's last chance at control of his life. If he didn't ask her before his birthday, he was going to be engaged to some random girl from his village, probably a fan-girl. Gaara bit his tongue. He honestly quite liked his bachelor lifestyle. It was true, he did like her a lot. There was definitely chemistry between them, but he wasn't sure those feelings would grow to love by the time he needed them. He definitely didn't want to rush into a marriage half-cocked, finding someone else later but not able to be with them. And Cordi was a loyal friend, and he'd seen that. If everything turned sour, he didn't want to lose their friendship too. To tell the truth, he was pretty sure he just wasn't ready to get married yet. But it was an irrevocable requirement on the contract he had to sign to become Kazekage. And the council had already warned him that they had someone chosen for him already if he doesn't chose for himself.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't know. But if things work out, within those two months," he answered.

Naruto pursed his lips, not sure he liked the sound of Gaara's answer. "Well, don't be too late, because if you get stuck with the wrong woman …" Naruto just let out a half whistle half sigh. "I pity you in your predicament," he added.

Gaara shot him a glance. "I pity you in yours," he replied nonchalantly.

"You can mold a child's mind, not a grown woman's," Naruto stated, fairly saying, he won that little pity-fest. Gaara bit his lip. Naruto was right. If Gaara ended up getting set with a girl who needed him by her side every second of every day, he would definitely go nuts. "By the way, where is Cordi?"

"She went to check in," Gaara stated. "She's in the second fight, so we'll see her soon anyhow." Naruto nodded excitedly, looking down to the field.

Gaara may not have known how perceptive Naruto really was. Naruto could tell by the way his best friend reacted to his questioning about Gaara's relationship with Cordi. He knew Gaara wouldn't have hesitated his answer if Cordi meant nothing to him. The length of his pause told Naruto everything about Gaara's feelings for her, even though, he probably didn't know them himself. It was understandable. Gaara had been betrayed so many times, and Matsuri had done a real number on him, though he wouldn't admit it. Naruto knew as soon as Cordi proved herself to be the right choice for Gaara, he would ask her to marry him in a heartbeat. Silently, Naruto prayed that she would do so before their time was up.

* * *

Fred sighed nervously, sitting with all the other competitors in the tournament. Her fight was first, and she was up against some guy from the Grass. She had no idea what his powers were, so she couldn't plan out a strategy. Rox noticed her uneasiness and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright," she reassured, hoping it would be enough. Fred nodded nervously, knowing Rox was just trying to be helpful.

"Will the opponents for the first match come down to the field," the announcer ordered.

Rox gave her a small smile and requested, "Kick ass!" Fred nervously nodded and walked over to the railing, keeping her face set determinedly. She looked back at her friends, waving nervously to them, before swinging her body over the railing, falling through the air before landing graciously on her feet. The Grass ninja was already there, waiting for her to get down so the battle could start.

"Begin," the announcer stated, stepping back so as not to get in their way.

They stood there silently, neither moving, slowly assessing the other. The Grass ninja had a sword strapped to his back, so Fred figured he was a weapons specialist. He had his brown hair tied down with a doo-rag. His dark brown eyes glared into Fred's green ones. His tan hands slowly lifted, pulling the sword out of its sheath.

"If you won't go, then I will," he snapped. Fred smirked. He hadn't realized this fight was already mostly over. Suddenly, he dropped his sword, scratching his suddenly itchy sensation in his exposed shins. He then looked down and he was standing in steadily growing bushes of shiny leaves. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?!?" he yelled.

"Leaves of three, let them be," Fred recited, pointing to the bushes, still growing before their eyes. "Poison Ivy, usually it takes a day for the spores to activate on human skin, but I altered it to react instantaneously." Fred then let out a wide grin. It was still growing, reaching the ninja's hips, but since he was hunched over scratching, he had his face in the thick of it. He yelped and jumped out as fast as he could, abandoning his sword to the poison shrub. She held up a hand and said, "By the way, don't touch me."

He didn't hear her though. He was too busy scratching his reddened and puffy skin. And, boy was he cursing up a storm. Fred could have sworn she knew all the curses known to man, but listening to him ranting at his spore covered skin, she was learning all new and interesting ones. She began to retract the poison ivy back into the ground, knowing Cordi would pitch a fit if she didn't. When the spores near his eyes began to react, she looked to the announcer and stated, "If you don't call it now and take him to the hospital, he'll could go blind." The announcer looked at her then nodded.

"The winner is Winnifred Butler," he stated, ushering the Grass ninja in the direction of the exit, being careful not to touch him. Fred grew a tree underneath her, so she could get back in the fighters' box. As soon as she jumped inside, greeting her friends smiling faces, she let the tree shrink back into its roots.

"Look at the Tsuchikage," Ronni giggled. "He looks like he's about to pitch a fit." They all looked up to the Kages' box and saw the short old man slowly turning redder and redder with a glare on his face.

Lynne looked around at the other competitors and laughed, "That's why. That ninja was his only one." They all looked around then laughed, watching the Tsuchikage get up and stomp away from the other Kages, Naruto obviously laughing because his shoulders were shaking.

As soon as the announcer got back, he called out, "The next opponents to the ring please!"

Cordi smiled over her shoulder to her friends and said, "Wish me luck!" They all gave her a thumbs up and encouraging smiles, before she too launched herself over the railing and into the arena. Cordi looked up to face her opponent. It was another woman, a year or so younger than Cordi, though. She was from the Village in the Mist. From first look, she looked as if she didn't do anything special, but Cordi tossed that thought aside. _If she didn't do anything special, then she wouldn't be nominated to become a Jounin, duh, _Cordi thought to herself.

"Begin!" the announcer called out.

The other girl, jumped out with lightning speed, whipping a kunai out of her pouch in a fluid motion. She slashed out at Cordi, forcing Cordi to jump back in avoidance of getting cut along her cheek. Instead, the kunai cut through some of her hair, which had been pulled back in a loose ponytail. Cordi didn't really notice until she saw she suddenly had bangs forming in her face. Cordi jumped back to a safe area away from the Mist ninja. Slowly, she ran a hand through her new bangs, and became infused with a red hot rage.

"YOU CUT MY HAIR!!!!" She screeched. The Mist ninja just smirked. She figured she could beat someone blinded by rage. Her smirk faltered when she saw Cordi forming a ball of fire in her hand. As fast as the Mist ninja was, Cordi pegged the ball at her with incredible speed. She couldn't dodge. She instead used a water style jutsu to extinguish the fire hurtling towards her. As soon as she did, she was shocked to see Cordi sprinting right behind it, landing a right hook in the Mist ninja's jaw. She was knocked back, flying a couple feet at the force of the punch.

She tried to get up, but Cordi quickly pounded her down again with another punch to the face. She couldn't defend herself as Cordi landed another punch in her face. "NO ONE TOUCHES MY HAIR!!!!!" Cordi screeched, with another punch, this one surrounded by flames and landed in her stomach. "DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO FIX WHAT YOU'VE DONE!?!?!?!" Cordi screeched, landing another three punches and a slap. Cordi, let her breath for a bit, jumping back trying to calm down. Her face was red with fury and her eyes were twitching crazily. She was breathing heavily in an attempt to catch what little air she had from her adrenaline rush.

The Mist ninja slowly got up, holding her abdomen and coughing up some blood. She wiped her mouth, smearing blood on her cheek. Her cheek had a slowly swelling red hand mark from Cordi's slap. She moved her hand away from her abs to show burns from Cordi's punch. "Nice punch," she half laughed, half coughed. She reached into her pouch for two more kunai, as she said, "my turn." She quickly threw them at Cordi, which she dodged, only to find that the Mist girl caught he by both wrists behind her back holding a kunai to her neck. "Now what?" the Mist ninja laughed.

Cordi frowned. _Alright, time for a plan. Objective one, get out of her grasp,_ Cordi thought to herself. She smiled and said, "This!" She locked her jaw as she thrust her head back, hitting her opponent's nose, rendering her shocked for a minute, letting Cordi rip one of her wrist out of her grasp, and grabbing the other ninja's wrist before spinning around and twisting it up painfully. Cordi wound her other hand around, resting her elbow on the back of the Mist ninja's neck and holding onto her chin, forcing the Mist ninja to turn her head painfully. Cordi gave her a dangerous smile and said, "We're gonna play a little game. When the pain gets to be too much, you can either say 'uncle' or 'mercy,'" Cordi informed. "But, it will also mean you will give up the fight too." The Mist ninja rose her free hand up to try and pull the hand holding her head in place away. Cordi just dug her long nails into the skin, much like a cat would do to get a better grip on its prey. "Come on, are you in pain yet?" The Mist girl stayed silent. "Alright then," Cordi sighed, pushing the girl's wrist slowly up her back. She let out a whimper. "Come on, you have to yell either 'uncle' or 'mercy,'" Cordi laughed. The Mist ninja just let out a low grasp.

Cordi continued until she heard a pop and then the girl screamed, "UNCLE!!! MERCY!!!! WHAT EVER YOU WANT!!!!" Cordi smiled, but stopped pushing her arm up.

"The winner is Cordelia Turner," the announcer called out. Cordi let the ninja go, who instantly put her hand to her pained shoulder. It looked as if it was dislocated. Cordi grimaced, not wanting to go that far, but she knew if she said she was sorry, it would look stupid, so she stayed silent. She let her gaze drift up to the Kages' box to see Gaara giving her a proud ghost of a smile, also noticing the Mizukage leaving the box. She smiled back to him before walking to the staircase and running up to meet her friends.

"Nicely done," Lynne cheered as she reached the waiting area for the opponents. Suddenly Lynne went rigid for a second, before relaxing again. The other four looked at her strangely as if asking what was wrong. "I'm fine," Lynne reassured. "It's just nerves." They nodded to her, accepting her reasoning. They were all feeling jittery with the prospect of more fighting, especially Fred and Cordi. Neither of them felt entirely comfortable having to beat the other to a pulp in their next match.

They waited for a bit, watching the medics run in to help the Mist ninja out of the ring, trying to fix her dislocated shoulder while taking her back to the infirmary. "You're next," Cordi laughed, looking to her sister.

"I know," Rox stated, letting out a sigh, gripping the railing, anticipation wriggling in her fingertips. She just wanted to get it over with already.

"You'll do fine," Ronni laughed. "Actually, I'd be surprised if one of us didn't make it to the next round." Fred laughed, nodding in agreement. Things were looking up so far.

"Will the next opponents come to the ring!" the announcer called out. Rox didn't even look back at her friends for their reassuring words. She just appeared in the center of the arena in a tornado-like force of wind, swirling her hair around her in a dangerous display of power. The ninja she was facing, she was surprised to see someone from Sunagakure. There was no way this girl was older than fifteen. Rox eyed the girl a bit, taking in two fans tucked into her belt around her waist, showing Rox she was up against a fellow wind user. The big difference, controlling wind with only chakra was used up quickly, where Rox could use it easily without touching her chakra stores. She threw a look up at the Kage box to see Naruto laughing at Gaara, saying something along the lines of, "I'll bet you a hundred dollars Rox wins this one." Gaara didn't say anything, just pursed his lips. It was a fools bet, and everyone who heard it knew it. "Begin when you are ready," the announcer ordered, stepping back.

Rox grimaced at the girl before her. This match up made her feel like she was going to beat the crap out of a defenseless five year-old; completely demoralizing. "Quit now," she requested to the young shinobi.

The young girl from Suna fervently shook her head and replied, "My sensei would never forgive me if I quit."

"Who is your sensei? I'm pretty sure if your sensei knew who I was, they would allow it," Rox stated. "Because believe it or not, they would know you are at an incredible disadvantage."

"No, I'm not!" she yelled at Rox, whipping out her fans. "WIND SCYTHE JUTSU!!!"

_Strike one_, Rox stated slowly.

"Ah, Temari, then," Rox muttered to herself unimpressed as the gust whipped its way toward her. Rox took a small breath, and let out a steady stream, almost lightly whistling. Suddenly a burst of wind of wind blew back the jutsu toward the Suna shinobi, shocking her to see a wind user just use the air they breathe as their weapon. She was quickly knocked back into the wall, dropping her twin fans. Rox just looked at her bored, twirling a lock of hair from her ponytail, as the girl stood up slowly, back aching slightly from the sudden impact with the concrete wall.

The girl glared at Rox, before diving for her fans, which Rox allowed. She still had another two strikes to go. "TEMPEST WIND!!!" she yelled, swinging her fans around again. A tornado flew towards Rox in a clock wise motion, whirling loudly.

_Strike two,_ Rox counted, raising a hand up spinning it counter-clockwise. The wind she created with that simple movement dispelled the tornado that was between them, setting the air back down to its more relaxed state.

The Suna ninja just gawked at Rox, not believing she countered her jutsus so easily. "This is your last chance to give up," Rox called out to her.

The Suna girl's face twisted into a snarl as she pulled out a couple Kunai. "NEVER!" she yelled, whipping the Kunai at her, using them as a decoy so she could get a better angle to hurt Rox.

Rox just flung her hand to the side, blowing the Kunai off course. "Strike three," she announced.

"TOO LATE!!!" The Suna ninja laughed, readying her jutsu. Suddenly, a breeze blew through the arena, taking Rox with it as if Rox were nothing but a ghost. The Suna shinobi stopped shocked. "Sh-she just d-disappeared," the girl murmured, not even believing her eyes. It had to be a gen-jutsu or something. People didn't just disappear like that. Suddenly, the hair on the back of her neck rose, feeling a light breeze right behind her, only then to feel a strong strike to the back of neck, where it met her skull, knocking her out.

Rox just looked at the girl collapsed on the ground. "How unnecessary," she sighed, starting to trek to a closer point towards the waiting room.

"Roxanne Turner is the winner!" the announcer stated as Rox became a part of the breeze again and appeared in the waiting room by her friends.

"Well done," Cordi cheered for her sister, smiling brightly at her.

"It felt like taking candy from a baby," Rox muttered, not pleased with it. She longed for a real fight if she had to fight at all.

"Well, what did you expect?" Lynne laughed. "We were given legendary powers, and you're expecting a real opponent other than us?"

Rox pursed her lips. To tell the truth, yeah, she kind of was. Watching them in their world, she figured she wouldn't be able to lay a finger on any one of the characters skill wise. "Well, whatever," she sighed. "You better get ready Ronni, since you're next."

Ronni smiled, fiddling with her left ring finger. Suddenly, Cordi noticed something gleam from her hand in the light and she shrieked, "You're engaged!?"

"Oh," Ronni laughed, "yeah. Kiba proposed last night." She flew up her left hand to show the nice white rock gleaming on it. Fred just stared, eyes wide and mouth screwed shut. It wasn't that she didn't like Kiba, it was just weird that her little sister was engaged before she was. It kind of made her feel like a spinster. A flash of the future went through her mind, seeing herself as an old woman in this world, alone.

"You aren't going to be an old lonely hag, Fred," Lynne stated, smiling. "Didn't your date with Kankuro go pretty well?" Fred shot her a look as if to ask her how she knew those things, then she remembered Lynne's gift and frowned.

"I thought I told you not to read my mind," Fred growled. Lynne just smiled. Fred let out a sigh, knowing Lynne's intentions were always noble, it just pissed her off from time to time. "Yes, it went well," Fred stated. Suddenly, a hopeful smile crossed the other four's faces. "Why?"

"You should go out with him again then," Cordi smiled, hoping to get both of their moping selves out of the house more.

"Uhm, in case you forgot," Fred stated, "You all are leaving tomorrow for Suna. Not much time to have a date."

"Well," Rox smiled, "we could meet up tonight and watch the sunset."

"Where?" Ronni asked, liking the idea.

"The Hokage's Mountain," Lynne stated as if it were obvious.

"Sounds like a plan. Everyone bring a date," Cordi laughed.

"Is Ronni Butler even here?" the announcer called, bringing the girls out of their conversation.

"Oh! Yes! SORRY!" Ronni yelled down to the arena, jumping over the railing, slightly embarrassed that she missed her entrance. She dusted herself off as soon as she landed. She quickly glanced at her opponent, to come up with a quick strategy for him. He was a fellow leaf ninja, armed up to the teeth with maces, knives, and two swords. Ronni pursed her lips, trying to think of a good way to go about beating a weapon's specialist. Honestly, she had no clue.

"Begin!" the announcer called out, signaling the weapon's specialist to speed at her, sword drawn and focus clear in his eyes.

"Crap," Ronni muttered, not able to avoid his strike. He ran her through with his sword, a smirk on his face, only to see that she had turned to a watery substance in her torso, where the sword was sticking through. He gawked at her, horrified and completely grossed out.

Suddenly she smiled curiously, until what seemed like an underwater spring or water main spewed out onto the arena, slowly engulfing the other ninja. She held him in the whirling ball of water, looking over to the announcer. He just watched, not saying anything. She shot him a confused look, hoping he'd say she won already, not wanting to drown the poor guy. She frowned, flinging him out of the water into the surrounding wall.

He propped himself up, sputtering water out of his lungs. She made a dramatic hand motion of raising something up, as if dragging it slowly. Droplets slowly formed into small bubbles of water hovering between them. She flicked one finger, sending a droplet hurtling towards him. As it hurtled towards him, it seemed the density of the water became thicker, harder, striking him hard in the shoulder. She flicked again into the other shoulder. She flicked again three times rapid fire, sending them into different points of his body. Then the last one, she flicked, sending the droplet into his head, knocking his head back. He looked forward, showing a massive welt forming right where the hardened ball of water struck him. She frowned. Nothing was enough for him. She pulled her hands up again, this time letting a stream flow up and around her arm playfully. She flung it at him, soaking him through, then hardening the water. He struggled against his icy confines, growling as he tried to break it.

"Try as you might," Ronni laughed, "it isn't going to break." He just growled, still trying to break it. Ronni frowned and looked at the announcer. "Call it," she ordered. He eyed her suspiciously before she added, "With water, there are only two types of attacks, ones that can hold the person or ones that can kill them. It's your choice." The announcer eyed her warily before looking up to Naruto, who just nodded back to him in reply.

"The winner is Ronni Butler," the announcer stated. Ronni smiled to him, letting her fellow leaf ninja go. He just scowled at her, which she ignored as she pulled a stream of water up, helping her back to the waiting room.

"Nicely done," Cordi laughed, patting her best friend on the shoulder.

"Jeez, it took forever!" Ronni sighed. "The freaking announcer guy would not call the match! I'm just like 'Hellooo, do you want him to die?'"

They all laughed except Lynne, who just smiled. The nerves were getting back to her, making her feel a little queasy again. She brushed it off and broke out into a grin. "Well, it's my turn next," she smiled.

_Alright, time to start the next match,_ the announcer thought.

Lynne smiled, and laughed, "And that's my queue." She flung herself over the railing, with a dramatic forward flip, as if off the high dive, landing gracefully on her toes.

The announcer just gaped at her, before shaking himself out of his stupor. "Last opponents to the ring," he called out. Lynne looked over to where her opponent was landing, watching him fall slowly to the ground.

He was a ninja from the Clouds. Lynne smiled. It wouldn't really matter where he was from or what he could do. She had him beat already. But she felt bad that he didn't have a chance. Maybe if she just played around with him a bit before actually taking him down … _Yeah, that will work._

"Begin," the announcer called. The cloud ninja reached for a kunai, readying to strike, until Lynne became invisible.

"Her too," he muttered, grabbing another kunai, preparing himself for an attack, now on the defensive. He heard grass crunch directly behind him, and he whirled around, striking the air. Nothing. He scowled, not liking this at all. He heard her laughing to his left, its echo around the arena haunting the air. He slashed out again, this time his wrist stopped mid-turn. She became visible, showing her strong hold on his arm, a grin on her face. She sent a swift kick to his butt before flinging him over her head, throwing him into the wall, dropping his kunai. His lungs let out a grunt on impact. He fell to the ground, getting back up and watched her, trying to gage her next move. She quickly became invisible again, last thing fading was her wide grin. He sighed, grabbing two kunai again from his pouch. He heard her laugh again, slashing out in that area again.

"You know, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results," he could hear her laughing, but the sound was coming from everywhere. "Or, so say my friends." She was right behind him. He quickly dropped, swinging his leg around on the ground, tripping her, making her loose her invisibility.

She let out a grunt as her body hit the ground. "He _can_ be taught," she laughed to herself, picking herself up. He grinned menacingly at her, happy to have gotten one blow in on her. If he could get one, maybe he could win. "Let's end this," she sighed. She lifted her hand, and shoved it forward, shoving him back, pinning him to the wall. He struggled against the hold of whatever she was doing, but it was hopeless. He couldn't move his arms or legs at all. She flung up her other hand, pulling up kunai out of her pouch with some invisible force. She held her hand limp, holding all ten kunai hovering in the air. An evil smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, before she flexed her fingers, sending the kunai flying toward him. One hit him in the right hand, pinning it to the wall. Another hit his arm at the shoulder, another snagged the collar of his shirt. Another caught him in his left knee, another at the hip. Another gashed his side, just beneath is lungs. And the last one to touch him came perilously close to his groin. The other four just hit the wall, within an inch of his body.

He tried his hardest to not show he was in pain, but him breathing hard to calm his body and trying to focus on other things was hard to miss. "You had enough?" Lynne asked, still holding her left hand up, keeping him against the wall. He didn't dignify her with and answer, just spat in her general direction. "I'll take that as a no," Lynne stated. "Well, it may look like I'm out of kunai, but I don't need them." She rose her right hand, pointing at him. She moved it only slightly, but the movement caused a cut along his right wrist. "I'll just work my way over to your left, until you say you've had enough," she informed him. Tallying his skin with little finger slashes. She stopped for a bit, feeling her nausea come back for a bit, but she shoved it back down. _Must have been a bad dumpling or something,_ she thought to herself, before continuing making mince meat of his skin. _This guy must have no aversion to pain,_ she frowned. She was already onto his left shoulder, and he hadn't said a thing yet. She gave one more long slash through his left arm, and then sighed. "Maybe you just need a rudimentary vasectomy," she sighed, positioning her hand, preparing to slash again. "The world does need more eunuchs," she mused, "lovely singing voices."

His grew wide as she said this. He shook his head violently, saying, "No, no no no no no." Rudimentary meant she might miss, and he rather liked his manhood in the first place. She tried her hardest not to smirk, hearing his thoughts. She began to run her hand over, about to cut him. "Alright, that's enough! I quit!" he yelled to her. She put down her hand.

"The winner is Lynne Belfoco," the announcer called. As he said this, she let the Cloud ninja down. His left leg instantly gave out on him, because of where she placed the kunai. He hissed in pain. "Get a medic," the announcer ordered, frowning in disgust at the bloodied ninja.

Lynne pursed her lips, until her nausea reappeared with a vengeance. She quickly ran over to a tree along the side, and emptied the contents of her stomach. She coughed a little, spitting the last remnants of the vile tasting substance out of her mouth. She straightened herself up, but then fainted.

* * *

"Give her some air," Lynne heard a girl order.

"What's wrong with her?" another girl asked.

"I don't know! I'm trying to figure that out," the first girl growled.

Lynne slowly opened her eyes to see Sakura leaning over her with her hands running over Lynne's body. Rox, Fred, Cordi, and Ronni were all crowded around her, worry evident on their faces. "What – happened?" Lynne groaned, trying to sit up. Sakura shoved her back down, keeping a hand over Lynne.

"You fainted," Sakura stated, not even looking at her. "I'm trying to figure out why."

"It's probably just a bug," Lynne sighed.

"No," Sakura corrected. "There were no bacteria in the vomit, and you don't have any viruses or toxins in your system." Lynne furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Will she be able to continue?" Naruto asked. Lynne looked around trying to pinpoint where the Hokage was. When she found him standing behind Sakura, she was surprised to see Gaara standing next him, frowning at her.

"Huh," Sakura let out, ignoring Naruto's question.

"What?" everyone asked simultaneously.

"Y- you and Sasuke move fast," Sakura stated through pursed lips. Lynne furrowed her brows again, as if to ask "What the hell does this have to do with Sasuke?" "You're pregnant."

Lynne sat up and just stared at Sakura as if she had two heads. Cordi just began to crack up before she was guffawing with laughter, the other three pursing their lips, but grinning wildly. "It's not funny," Lynne growled, shooting Cordi a death glare.

"You're right," Cordi chuckled. "It's hilarious." With that, the other three girls began to laugh a long with Cordi.

Gaara stared deadpan at his girlfriend, then stated, "I don't see how it can be so funny." He looked over to Naruto as if to ask him if he thought it was funny. Naruto was just grinning, but shrugged to Gaara.

"Well," Cordi started, trying to calm down her breath. "You know how I have that irrational fear of clowns?" Sakura, Naruto, and Gaara nodded. "Well, our friend Lynne here has an irrational fear of pregnancy." Gaara just blinked, trying to compute that, mouthing the words "Irrational fear of pregnancy."

"That's because it's unnatural," Lynne hissed.

"Yet, it's used to sustain nature," Cordi mused.

"You have to admit," Ronni sighed, calming her breathing, "it is ironic." The other girls nodded.

"That wasn't the biggest news," Sakura interrupted. Everyone turned to her, Lynne eyeing her suspiciously. "Judging from the amount your hormones jumped, you're having twins."

"TWINS!?!!?!" Lynne gaped, not believing this at all, and just wanting to wake up.

**AN:** So, comments? Who found all of the references? I am including actions in this count, btw. And yes, now there are two people preggers. Who thought Hinata was going to be the only one preggers for a while? Who thought Matsuri was going to be the last one to have a child out of wedlock? Sorry, those plots are the most fun to work with. ^.^0 Anyway, tell me in a review! I WANT TO KNOW!!!!


	33. Part 2: Chapter 11

**AN:** _**READ THIS!!!!!**_ There is a song that goes with the first fight in this chapter, "Seizure of Power" by Marylin Manson from Resident Evil. Play it at "They stayed still for a bit, eyeing each other." Otherwise, if you play it any other time, it won't be lined up like I typed it. You don't need to, but it makes it kind of cool, or so I think.

Also, please keep my dog in your thoughts. He's really sick, and he's my rock. If I lost him in any way shape or form, I'm pretty sure I'd be too depressed to write anything. That's why I didn't post this earlier. I've been freaking out all day about him because, my mom told my sis that he was really sick this morning and it looked bad. It's not as bad as we thought, now I'm just hoping the meds work … or he eats them at least. Anyway, please keep him in your thoughts. His name is Piper, btw.

On a random note, I think I know why the "Final Battle" in Breaking Dawn was a more of a debate than a battle. They have to be the hardest things to write ever. Note to self, never ever ever ever write another action story AGAIN!!!

And to Thomas Drovin, If you thought the first round of fights was awesome, just wait. These are of epic proportions, if I don't say so myself. Haha. And I'm doubting Madara thought so. I mean, have you ever heard of a blind spy? I haven't … I mean, other than Kirigi.

And to Dantesfreezer, Yes they have, haha. The chesshire cat was an action reference. He doesn't say that he smiles, he just drifts off. The other one was Lynne slicing up the other ninja, while holding him against the wall. I just had to give her a little bit of Sylar. ^.^ And the "Insanity" line, that's actually from one of my fave characters in Buffy/Angel. Faith says that to Angelus when he keeps on trying to hit her while they are in a "Hell" dimension as spectors, watching all of Angel's good deeds. That one, I wasn't expecting you to get. You know, you were the only one to catch them. Everyone else ignored it … I think. Oh well. You won. And the people are not as set as you think. Remember, Gaara hasn't said anything to Cordi about the arranged marriage, which is bound to blow up in his face. We have no idea how Sasuke is going to take the news of being a parent. Fred and Kankuro will have to correspond over long distance, which puts a really heavy strain on any relationship. So, there are many curve balls I could throw in this. ^.^

And to Me and Gaara 4eva, Well, OH SNAP!!! Look what's up!!! Haha.

And to Gaaras1Girl, Yeah, she's in for a bit of a roller-coaster. And honestly, ever heard a Eunuch's voice? They are beautiful! That's why they have so many boy choirs in England. It's the same sound, but without the snip snip. ^.^ And, yes. I can say, since I'm like deathly allergic to Poison Ivy, I can agree with saying it's a very cruel and unusual punishment.

And to Azura Soul Reaver, Yeah, her life sucks more than you think. Just wait until the next chapter.

And to Riss737, Haha, thanks. I was hoping it would be that funny. ^.^

And to princessSiyaka, You know it's funny because that's exactly how it would happen. .

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi, Saito, belong to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Although, I did take some creative liberties with Saito, Thomas. Thanks a bunch!!!

**Chapter Eleven: Semifinals**

"… Wow," Rox managed, while everyone else stayed silent, processing what Sakura said. "Just like our photo teacher," Rox nervously laughed, "instant family." Lynne narrowed her eyes at her friend. "Hehe, shutting up now," Rox stated nervously, her hands positioned in front of her in surrender.

"Well," Naruto sighed, "Safe to say, you are not allowed to fight for several months."

Lynne jumped up. "Why the hell not!?!" she challenged, her face contorted into anger.

Naruto held up his hands in surrender as well and replied, "We aren't allowed to send pregnant ladies out to battle." She glared at him warily as he said this. "Did they not cover that in the comic?"

"They did," Cordi sighed.

"Yeah, Lynne, remember Kuranai?" Ronni stated, hoping Lynne remembered that arc.

"You should probably go home and tell Sasuke," Fred stated quietly, so as not to draw too much attention to herself. Lynne was obviously mad at the moment, and the last thing Fred wanted was Lynne's anger focused on her.

"I can't," Lynne sighed, sounding very flippant. "He's on a mission." With that, she shot a glare at Naruto, who just silently bit his lower lip.

"H-he should be back soon," Naruto mumbled, scratching his nose. "Anyway, we need to get this competition rolling," he stated, looking at the angry fans in the stands. They were silent, but their obvious restlessness told them they wouldn't be for long. "Fred, Cordi, it's your match, so you guys just stay here. Lynne, why don't you just stay in the waiting room until the tournament is done?" Lynne rolled her eyes as if she didn't need to be told what to do.

"Only if you aren't going to be sick again," Rox stated, eyeing Lynne suspiciously.

Naruto sighed, "What does it matter?"

"Rox has an irrational fear of vomit," Cordi muttered. Her sister shot her an angry look as Naruto and Gaara just turned to her and frowned. "I'm serious! She hasn't gotten sick since she was seven because she avoids people throwing up like the plague," Cordi stated wide-eyed, contemplating whether she should tell the story of her sister locking her outside of the car in a parking lot one night and not allowing her in so they could go home, because Cordi had just gotten sick.

"You people and your phobias!" Naruto sighed exasperatedly, throwing his hands up in the air. "Get over it!" Rox shot him a dirty glare, as if to say "Chose your next words wisely … they may be your last." Naruto let out another sigh before conceding. "Sakura, stay with Lynne in the waiting room then, and make sure she doesn't get sick." Sakura nodded, and walked with Lynne to the stairs, not allowing her to jump up into the waiting room. Gaara put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, in a whirl of sand; put them back in the Kages' Box. Naruto walked back to his seat, rubbing his hands over his face. He looked over to Gaara then asked, "Do you have any phobias?" Gaara laughed at his friend and shook his head. The only thing Gaara had been afraid of had been dealt with several years ago. "Me either," Naruto sighed, not understanding the reasoning for having them in the first place.

Rox and Ronni went back into the waiting room, Rox standing as far away as possible from Lynne, who rolled her eyes at her friend. Granted, she was always like that. If someone had gotten sick back at school, it always amazed Lynne that Rox would walk around the entire world to get to her class than go down that hall. Sometimes, it was just a little extreme. Then again, Rox thought her fear of pregnancy was a little extreme too.

Cordi and Fred were left in the arena, waiting for the announcer to let them fight. Both eyeing each other, trying to form a strategy. They had never fought each other before, so it was guaranteed to be an interesting match.

The announcer looked at them both, determining if they were ready to start their fight. "Begin," he called out.

They stayed still for a bit, eyeing each other. Cordi shifted her feet slightly, getting in a fight ready stance. Neither moved for a couple seconds, the air thick with anticipation. She then launched herself at her friend, kunai in hand. Fred flicked her wrist, flinging up a sheet of rock from the ground beneath them as a shield. Cordi jumped to the side, to get a better angle at striking her friend. Fred flung up another shield around that side. But Cordi had gotten around it. Fred quickly snatched a kunai from her pouch, blocking Cordi's jab at her. They struggled a bit before Fred back-flipped away from her friend, landing softly on her feet. Cordi jumped after her, forming a fireball in her hand. Fred dodged the flaming ball, grabbing Cordi's wrist and dealing her a swift punch in the jaw, which was met with a resounding crack. Cordi retaliated with a swift kick to the side of Fred's knee before jumping away from her, cracking her jaw back in place. It always did that. Fred readied her stance, slowly pulling her hand up as if dragging something from the ground. Cordi furrowed her brows in confusion. She had no idea what Fred was doing.

A shadow was beginning to tower over Cordi, which caused her to look back. A giant bulbous tree had grown, and before Cordi could register what was going on, it began to collapse on her. Cordi jumped to the side, cursing at herself. The tree straightened itself out before striking at her with a branch. She jumped above the swinging branch, swinging an arm out and incasing it in fire. Cordi didn't see its other branch swinging around, which contacted her in the side. She fell, hitting the ground with a small thud, but quickly jumped out of the way of the huge trunk about to smash into her. She back-flipped away from the tree toward Fred, who was already prepared for her. Vines sprung up from the ground, wrapping themselves quickly around Cordi. Thinking quickly, Cordi engulfed her own body in fire, turning her chains into ashes. As soon as she was free, she jumped up, dodging Fred's attack from behind. While falling through the air, she made a couple shadow clones, sending them in a triangular formation to surround Fred. She looked around, seeing herself surrounded as the Cordi clones began to move their hands in synchronized motion. Fred pulled a huge column of rock from beneath her, shoving her skyward as Cordi and her clones shot a stream of hellish fire where Fred stood only seconds ago. She was safe up there … or so she thought.

Cordi dispelled her clones, and put her hands at her side, jets of flames rocketing her off the ground and high into the air. As soon as Cordi had gotten high enough, she landed a punch into Fred's face, knocking Fred off her column. To cushion her fall, Fred grew a huge bush just beneath her, so she was able to bounce off when she landed. Cordi on the other hand, dove off the column after Fred, fireball at the ready. Fred skipped out of her way, then broke out into a sprint. Cordi shoved her fireball toward the ground, exploding it, propelling her toward Fred. She did her best to block, but Cordi came flying at her at such speeds, that Fred was unable to do so. She let out a loud "OOF!" as Cordi's body hit hers.

Both of themselves got up, breathing pretty heavily, and both grinning like it was Christmas. Cordi feinted to the right and Fred to the left. Both snatched kunai from their pouches and flung them at each other, which met in the center of the field with a loud clang. Roots and vines jumped out of the ground, striking toward Cordi. She pulsed her chakra into her feet and quickly jumped up the side of the wall, till she was out of reach for them. From her perch, she looked down on the arena, seeing that it had been transformed into a jungle.

_Time to end this,_ Cordi sighed, seeing her friend grinning up at her. Cordi slowly rose her hand, as if she were lifting some great weight. The earth began to shake, making Fred look around confused. This definitely wasn't Fred's doing. The ground began to crack and splinter in the center of the arena, not far from where Fred was standing. Steam and smoke began to plume from the crack. Fred took a step back, wondering what on earth was happening. They could hear a deep churning and spurting coming from the gouge in the earth. Suddenly something bright red flew out of the crack, landing on one of the vines, which quickly caught fire. Cordi raised her hand more, which widened the crack in the ground, allowing hot magma to fountain from it. Fred's eyes widened in terror as she too jumped up the wall to escape the burning liquid, just as Cordi had expected. She contained the lava, making sure it didn't melt the concrete and only harmed the arena's vegetation. The arena was completely clouded with thick black smoke. Cordi ran around the side, letting the smoke hide her.

Fred was blinded by the black clouds which burned her eyes and lungs. She held her hands to her face to shield her from the severe heat, even though she was far above it. Out of nowhere, Cordi landed a kick in her gut, making Fred cough. She jumped away from Cordi, hoping to get a safe distance from her friend. No such luck. Cordi was already behind her, sending another punch, but this one was sloppy, letting Fred know Cordi couldn't see either. Fred grabbed her friend's wrist, holding her in place as she landed a punch in Cordi's gut. Cordi coughed, but threw a fireball at Fred trying to keep her ground. Fred gasped at the burn, being careful not to touch it, but swung back at her friend with a nice kick to the side. Cordi caught it, and flung her down to the ground. Cordi dove after her, this time slowing her descent with her jet streams. As she landed, she noticed Fred had landed on her back, a couple bushes cushioned her blow, but the lack of oxygen and the impact of the fall had knocked her out.

Cordi snuffed the fires quickly by closing her fist, as she also shoved the lava she borrowed back into the Earth's core. The smoke slowly dissipated, showing Cordi standing over Fred's limp unconscious form.

The announcer, who seemed to have taken cover in the waiting room when the fight began to get a little too dangerous to stay in the arena, jumped from his perch. He placed his hand over toward Cordi and stated, "The winner is Cordelia Turner."

Cordi looked up to Gaara as the medics escorted Fred off the field. He gave her a small nod, which told her she did well. Honestly, Cordi felt like she betrayed her best friend, but she had to shove that feeling aside. She silently trudged over to the staircase that led to the waiting room before the medics had completely gotten Fred onto the stretcher. As they pulled Fred back to the staircase, they had to dodge the huge hole that led practically all the way down to the core.

As soon as the arena was cleared, the announcer called out the next fight, looking toward the waiting room. Ronni and Rox nodded, Rox jumping out first, not waiting to escape from a sick person. Ronni jumped slowly after her, but before Cordi got back. As Cordi got to the room, she walked over to the railing to see Ronni and Rox facing each other, waiting to start.

"Begin!" the announcer called out, jumping back into the waiting room, figuring that their fight would be much like the previous one.

Ronni spun around, swinging her arm out around her, water slowly flowing in a spiral around her. It formed a sort of water snake, which struck out towards Rox. Rox sucked in a huge amount of air before putting a hand in an O-shape over her mouth, before letting out a strong stream of air, striking through the snake tearing it apart, heading straight toward Ronni. Her eyes widened as the jet of air rocketed toward her. Just before it hit her, she became a puddle to dodge the blow. Rox frowned before sweeping herself into the breeze.

There was nothing for a bit, Ronni staying in her puddle and Rox staying a part of the air. Then a gust began to travel through the stadium before speeding up and concentrating around the puddle, picking up water and spraying it all around. Until the audience could hear a loud scream come from the center before it flung Ronni from the center, which ceased the light cloudless rain. Before Ronni hit the wall, she became a body of water, splashing on contact, and reforming herself from the spray it caused, landing nimbly on the ground.

Rox came out of hiding in the air, walking toward the center. Ronni glared at her before she raised her hands, reminiscent of when Gaara was fighting Deidera. A huge wall of water sprung from the ground beneath them, forming itself into the shape of an old man with a white foamed beard. Rox pursed her lips at the huge wave in front of her, slowly wading its way across the stadium towards her. Ronni jumped onto his shoulder, whispering in his ear what she wanted as his head was turned lightly toward her. He returned his gaze toward Rox, a wicked grin on his face. He shook his foamy mane, splashing some of the audience with escaping droplets of himself. He swung a hand out toward Rox in attempts to grab her, but missed. Instead the wave that somewhat resembled the sleeve of his robe swept over her. He dove into the water to find her. It didn't take him long. She was flailing to get to the surface as fast as possible, but he grasped her ankle, yanking her down to him. He suddenly formed himself on the surface of the water again, her dangling in his grasp. He grinned victoriously at Ronni, who grinned back at him, until the Rox in his hand poofed away.

Ronni narrowed her eyes, glaring at the newly vacant air._ She used a shadow clone … clever,_ she muttered in her mind, looking around for her friend.

THUD!

The sound made her sweep around, only to see a kunai with a paper bomb wrapped around it sticking out of the ground. Ronni jumped away just before it exploded. She looked up, seeing Rox hovering high above the stadium. She barely had time to move before she heard three more thuds around her and her water man. "Fu–" she managed, just before they exploded in her face. The water man shrieked as the flames hit him, shrinking back into the earth, abandoning Ronni.

Rox was breathing hard, looking through the smoke for Ronni. When it cleared, Ronni was still standing, but she must have become water to escape the full extent of the bomb. Although, the boiling of the water she had been was obvious. She was red in some places on her skin, some even had blisters from the heat. Ronni let out a hiss, trying to work through the pain. Rox frowned, not sure she wanted to finish this fight. The seriousness from the fight had hit her with that last blow. She was practically trying to kill one of her best friends.

Ronni tried to do another water move, but the amount of pain was evident from the lack of control she had on the water now, compared to how it usually was. She cursed at herself, then turned to the announcer. "I quit!" she called out.

Rox's face fell. Ronni must have been hurt worse than she originally thought. Ronni wasn't the type of girl to just give up. It took a lot to get her to back down from something. Rox instantly dropped from the skies, crouching in her landing, so as not to hurt her own body too much.

The announcer had jumped down at the same time. "The winner is Roxanne Turner," he called out, pointing to the wind user.

Rox rushed over to her friend, eyeing the reddened and blistered skin. "Oh my God, are you alright."

"It's FATAL!" Ronni joked, laughing a little bit. Rox let out a nervous laugh, reminiscing that night when they were kids and playing Twister. Rox had accidentally elbowed Cordi in the diaphragm heart area. Cordi had instantly grasped her chest, gasping "THAT'S FATAL!!!" causing everyone to laugh at her, because that blow was anything but fatal. Ah, good memories. Rox smiled at Ronni, glad to see she'd be fine, and helped her friend up, walking with her toward the stairs. She didn't dare do her breeze thing, fearing it would hurt Ronni.

**AN:** So, you guys like the fights? Tell me! I want to know!!!! Haha, just review. I know more than six people read this story. Can you others tell me how you feel with a nice little review?


	34. Part 2: Chapter 12

**AN:** Alright, I wanna thank all of you guys for keeping my dog in your thoughts. He's fine now and he'll be with my family for the rest of his long life hopefully! Anyway, sorry this chapter is really late. I was hoping to get it finished and up on Sunday, but something got in the way. I came down with a horrible 24 hour bug, so I couldn't do anything with the story. But now, I'm obviously better. Haha. Hopefully I'm not going to be sick like I was this past year, so nothing comes up that keeps me from updating, other than writer's block ..

Anyway, the song I was listening to for this song was Hall of the Mountain King by Apocolyptica. Funny story about this song. When my dad was teaching my sister and I to parallel park, and he had me get in the front seat for my first try, guess what song came on! Yep. So when you listen to the song, not only think about the fight, but imagine me getting into the driver's seat of a car. And btw, I can't drive worth crap, that's what made it so funny. . You can imagine how hard I was laughing at the irony of the entire situation.

I also want to say, after reading my first flame, yes my first in this story, and I'm probably really late in saying this, if anyone intends to flame this story, please put some heart into it. The one I got was just pitiful that I couldn't even consider it a flame. I was discussing with my sis today what we could dub the pitiful excuse of a flame, and agree that it could either be called a vanilla scented candle, or a spark. You guys tell me which you prefer!

Oh, and the update you saw, wasn't an update. My sister was going back through the story, and found some discrepancies that I wanted to fix. That's what it was. .

And to Thomas Drovin, My first dog died when he was 15. The one I have now is only 9, though. So, it still feels like he's really young. And to tell the truth, my dog Piper is to me what Naruto was to Gaara really. He helped me through my toughest times. On another note, Rox is afraid of vomit period. You wanna hear that best one? Fred is afraid of feet. Haha. She's fine as long as they're covered up. ^.^ Anyway, we'll get to it. But we need to finish the tournament first! And Thanks! I hope you had a great Easter too!!!

And to Me and Gaara 4eva, I'm glad to see the inside joke common among my friends is liked so much. ^.^ And yes, you did see the chapter earlier. I was just fixing some things.

And to Gaaras1Girl, Haha. I showed my mom and my sister you're review again, and she could not stop laughing. Believe it or not, my sister did do that to me. It took my mom and hour to calm my sister down, while I was behind the car tossing my toys _and_ cookies. My sister made it pretty clear that she was not going home with me in the car, so my mom call a family friend to pick my sis up while I rode with my mom, my head hanging out the window. . That had to be one of the worst nights of my life! We didn't get home until 9 or 10 o'clock at night because of that. Thank god she's a little better about it now, otherwise Monday and Sunday, I would have been SOL.

And to Azura Soul Reaver, Well, let's find out! ^.^

And to princessSiyaka, Here here! I could not agree more!

And we have newbie fave-ers/alerters! NarutardKerry, lostcb, LoboFanGirl, Wolfstar-Wolfy-Hollyleaf, and blackangelrose. Thank you guys, and welcome to the family!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi, Saito, belong to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Although, I did take some creative liberties with Saito, Thomas. Thanks a bunch!!!

**Chapter Twelve: Wind vs Fire**

It didn't take them long to clean up the arena. As soon as they were done, the announcer called down Rox and Cordi, switching places with them by launching himself into the waiting room. Rox and Cordi stood opposite each other, neither looking at the other. "Begin!" the announcer bellowed.

Neither sister moved. The last round had woken them up in this tournament that it would be very easy to kill one of their friends, and that was the last thing they wanted. They stood there like that, not looking at each other for several minutes. Then several people in the crowd began to yell down to them, "HEY! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU TWO!?!?! BOOOOO!!!! WHERE'S THE FIGHT!?!?!?"

Cordi thought quickly. They had to fight, because it was useless waiting for the other to give up for no reason. Both of the sisters were stubborn, but Rox was a little more stubborn, but that didn't mean Cordi would just give up. Then an idea occurred in head, remembering all of their fights in their childhood, and a smile escaped her lips, which she quickly snuffed out. She looked up to see her sister staring at the ground, trying to find some way to end this peacefully.

"ROX!!!" Cordi snapped, her face serious. "WHAT THE HELL'S THE MATTER WITH YOU!?!?!" Rox shot her a confused expression, not really understanding Cordi's question. "WHY ARE YOU SO PISSED OFF AT ME!? HUH!?!?!"

"I-I'm not pissed off at you," Rox stammered, still very confused.

"Yeah, you are!" Cordi snapped back. "You only look at me like that when I've done something wrong in your eyes!" she added, waving her hands in the air.

"I'm not pissed off at you," Rox stated, glaring at her sister.

"Quit lying!" Cordi demanded, pointing an accusing finger at her sister. "You most definitely are pissed off! What wrong!? Do you just not want to tell me!?"

"I SAID I'm NOT … PISSED … OFF!!!!!" Rox yelled at Cordi, slowly getting louder.

In the Kage box, Naruto watched on very confused. He leaned over to Gaara and asked, "What the hell is Cordi doing?" Gaara just shrugged, arms folded and still watching the dispute. "I mean, Rox obviously wasn't pissed off. Soooo …."

"Quit LYING! Yes you are!" Cordi yelled, unknowingly cutting of the Hokage.

"… It makes no sense," Naruto reasoned. Gaara still just shrugged watching the dispute unfold.

"SHUT UP!!! I TOLD YOU!!! I'M NOT PISSED OFF!!!!!" Rox yelled, reaching for the first thing she could find, a kunai, and throwing it at her sister. Her face was red, and her eyes filled with rage. She was huffing angrily.

Cordi dodged the knife, keeping her eyes on her sister. So far, her plan was working. "There you go, throwing shit at me again!" Cordi yelled once she was on her feet again. "And you only do that when you're mad at someone or something."

Rox saw red. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!" she yelled in frustration, before jumping into the air, fist ready to pound the living daylights out of Cordi. It was a fierce battle-cry. "I TOLD YOU I'M NOT PISSED _**OFF**_!!!!!!!!" With that, Rox took a swing at Cordi.

Cordi caught her sister's fist, and laughed, "I beg to differ." When Rox was angry, she didn't like anyone laughing, not even chuckling. Rox let out another battle-cry, punching he sister squarely in the jaw, knocking Cordi back a couple paces. Rox jumped back, freeing herself from her sister's grasp. She then swung her right arm around, creating a huge gust of wind which blew its way to Cordi, making her fall over. _Alright, now it's like any other fight with Rox, just with elements this time,_ Cordi thought, pulling herself up. She swung her leg around, a jet of flame coming out of the bottom of her foot. Rox quickly dispelled it with a gust of wind, as if she were blowing out a candle. She grabbed Cordi's ankle, and swung her around, making Cordi loose her balance. Cordi was quick to gain it back, jumping at her sister with a flamed fist in the air. Rox caught it with her own fist, wind circling dangerously around it. It exploded, blowing both of them back. They launched at each other again, trying the same thing, the fire and wind exploding again in their faces.

As they landed at opposite sides of the arena, Rox decided to end it. She spun around several times, gaining speed with each spin, until she was going so fast, a tornado whipped up around her. With her hands, she directed it away from her toward her sister. Cordi didn't have time to dodge the massive tornado, and got sucked in. She found a root to hold onto, to keep close to the ground. Her hair flew around her as her lungs were slowly robbed of air, suffocating her as the tornado shrank, focusing around her. As a last ditch effort, Cordi flung up an arm, charging it with electricity, and firing it off into the stadium. The bolt hit Rox, causing her to stop breathing and her heart to stop beating. She fell to the ground, the tornado evaporating along with her. Cordi looked up astonished and looked around for Rox. She saw her sister on the ground twitch, bolts of electricity popping off her.

"Rox!" Cordi yelled, running over to her. She placed a hand over Rox's chest, pulling the electricity out of her sister's body. Rox's eyes were wide and lifeless. She still didn't move. "No. No no no no."

"Call the match," she heard Lynne order the announcer. At first he didn't say anything, until a loud thump was heard. Apparently Lynne punched him.

"The winner is Cordelia Turner," He called out.

Lynne barely let him get that out before yelling down to Cordi, "Use the electricity you have like those paddles!" Cordi looked up to Lynne in the waiting room, eyes wide and barely breathing. She just killed her sister. "You know! CLEAR!!!" Lynne reminded. Cordi nodded quickly, still not breathing. She placed her hand over her sister's heart, shooting some electricity in. It made Rox's body jump but nothing yet. "Come on, come on," Cordi muttered helplessly. She flicked her hand, hoping to clear her electricity of her nerves a bit. She placed her hand on Rox's chest again, and gave her another bolt. Rox let out a cough, telling Cordi that she was alright. Cordi broke out into a grin, tackling her sister with joy. "You're alright," Cordi said, tears starting to fall from her eyes.

"Cordi," Rox coughed, "air…." Cordi let go of her sister, letting her breathe. Sakura had jumped down, and run over them.

"Move, I need to check her vitals," she stated, shoving Cordi out of the way. Cordi quickly wiped her eyes, tears flowing freely from them. Gaara and Naruto had jumped down too. Naruto stood behind Sakura, watching her check Rox. Gaara placed a comforting hand on Cordi's shoulder.

"You did well," Gaara stated, patting and rubbing her back smoothly.

"I almost killed my sister," she murmured to herself, bringing a hand to her head as if to sort her thoughts physically.

"She's alright," Sakura called out, putting her hands in her lap. Rox slowly sat up again, looking at her sister.

"If it wasn't for you," Gaara reminded, "she wouldn't be alive right now." Cordi nodded. She couldn't really argue with that. Rox crawled over to Cordi and gave her a hug, knowing that's what she needed most: a hug from her sister who was still alive.

A thud sounded as Shikamaru finally landed in the ring, his foot-steps tapping against the ground as he ran toward the group. He placed a hand on Rox's shoulder as he knelt down to her level, turning her toward him. "Are you alright?" he asked her, obviously worried sick. She gave him a small nod, hugging him too to calm him down. He embraced her too, turning his head to kiss her on the cheek. He moved his hands up her neck into her hair, rubbing her neck gently. "Don't ever do that again," he sighed, laying his forehead against hers, before lightly kissing her on the lips. She gave him a light kiss back, forgetting everyone crowding around them for a bit.

"I won't, I promise," she laughed, pulling away for a bit before kissing him lightly again. Cordi beamed at her sister and Shikamaru. Lynne was also grinning at the couple. Cordi and Lynne had heard they were dating, but neither of them had really seen them _together_. Rox was normally too shy to date, so this little scene made them grin like it was Christmas. Although, now that Rox was declared fine, no one was paying much attention to her and Shikamaru holding onto each other, other than her friends.

"Cordelia," the announcer barked, bringing Cordi and Lynne back to the tournament scene. "You won," he reminded the dirty-blonde, not liking the fact that he had to repeat himself. Cordi just blinked at him, as if to say, "Yeah, your point?"

Gaara let out a slow sigh before stating, "It's time for the awards ceremony." Rox had pulled away from Shikamaru to listen in, a little confused by what Gaara said.

"There's an awards ceremony?" Cordi, Rox, and Lynne asked, all looking at the Kazekage with their brows furrowed in utter perplexity.

Naruto stepped forward, giving them a huge nod along with a bright grin. "With a trophy and everything," he smiled, arms crossed, still nodding his head for emphasis.

"Seriously?" Cordi asked, gawking at them. For some odd reason, she couldn't see ninjas winning medals over fights. She always thought that the main prize was graduating to the next level. Everyone nodded, Naruto being the most expressive with his nod.

"Only the top two places," Sakura clarified. Rox and Cordi just looked at her, before standing up simultaneously.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Rox sighed, lightly brushing off the dust and dirt on her pants. Cordi nodded in agreement. Both of them looked over toward the announcer, waiting for him to lead the way. He frowned a little before walking toward the center of the arena, avoiding the huge crater Cordi had created in her fight with Fred. Shikamaru, Sakura, and Lynne backed off to the sidelines, so as not to get in the way of the ceremony. Gaara and Naruto silently put their hats back on their heads, before standing next to the announcer.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the announcer called out to the crowds in the stands as soon as a young boy with a small box and a chuunin with a slightly bigger box came running out to stand next to the Kages. "Our second place winner, from the Hidden Leaf Village, Roxanne Turner!" he announced, pointing to Roxanne. She stepped forward, waving to the cheering crowd. Naruto stepped forward with the young boy, opening the box and pulling out a blue ribbon with a silver medal on it. He spread the ribbon open and placed it around her neck, letting the medal hang over her chest for all to see. He reached back into the box, pulling out a small silver trophy cup, "2nd" engraved upon it. He handed it to her then gave her a courteous ceremonial handshake. Rox grinned at him, trying to keep from laughing. Honestly, Naruto in his Hokage outfit and holding such a serious face seemed so unlike him, that to Rox it just seemed funny.

"And our First Place Champion, from the Hidden Sand Village of the Wind Country, Cordelia Turner," the announcer stated pointing toward Cordi, who was standing next to her sister. Gaara walked up to her, the chuunin walked up next to him, the bigger box in hand. Gaara slowly opened it up and pulled out another blue ribbon with a gold medal attached to it. Cordi bowed as he opened the ribbon, letting him place it around her neck. He then reached back into the box, pulling out a large golden trophy cup, "1st Place Champion of the 82nd Bi-annual Jounin Exam," engraved along the bell of the cup. Gaara smiled and handed it to her.

"Congratulations," he whispered to her as she took the cup. He let go of it, and just as he did, she nearly dropped it from the weight. She sent him a small glare, knowing he made it look like it weighed nothing on purpose. He just smiled and moved away from her so she was in view of the crowd. Naruto did the same for Rox, letting the crowd see both of them. The crowds cheered, happy for their champions. They both simultaneously raised a hand and waved to the crowds, trying hard not to laugh, but both grinning as if it were their birthdays.

Rox leaned over to Cordi and muttered, "I always wondered what if felt like to be an Olympian." Cordi laughed and nodded. As soon as everything died down, Shikamaru and Lynne joined up with the group, which consisted of Gaara, Cordi, Naruto, and Rox.

"I suggest a victory feast," Naruto declared to Rox, Cordi, and Gaara as Shikamaru and Lynne finally caught up with them. "Ramen, anyone?"

"No!" they all called out, making Naruto frown in disappointment.

"What about barbeque?" Shikamaru offered. Everyone immediately agreed with that for the victory feast, leaving Naruto feeling slightly bummed.

"Well, then let's go," Lynne suggested, starting to walk toward the exit.

"Uhm, You all go ahead," Shikamaru waved, watching everyone start to follow Lynne. "I need to talk to Cordi about something first."

Cordi shot Shikamaru a strange look before giving Gaara's hand a squeeze and letting go. Gaara nodded to her as if telling her he'd wait for her right there, while the rest of the group moved on. Rox looked back at Shikamaru a little confused, but joined Lynne and Naruto out of the arena, as the rest of the audience filtered out of the stands.

"What do you need to talk about?" Cordi asked, slowly walking over to the lazy Nara.

"This is so troublesome," he muttered nervously, scratching his head. Cordi hadn't noticed it before, but something was bothering him. She had never seen Shikamaru this troubled about something, and it had her worried. "I – I was wondering … i-if you would a-allow m-me to …" he paused, trying to find the words that would be the best to use at the moment.

Cordi was becoming anxious. "What?" she asked, her worry becoming apparent in her voice.

He averted his gaze, looking down as if the dirt were far more interesting than talking to her. "I … I want your sister's hand in marriage," he stated, clasping and un-clasping his clammy hands. He innocently looked up at her, anxiety for her answer evident in his eyes.

Cordi had the biggest smile her face could hold. "Honestly, I can't see Rox happy with any other man," she beamed. "Of course you have my blessing to marry her." A heavy weight seemed to have been lift from Shikamaru's shoulders, freeing him of some heavy burden.

He ran to Cordi, wrapping his arms around her in a grateful hug. "Thank you! Thank you so much!!!" He laughed, picking Cordi up and swinging her around, then giving her a tight squeeze.

"Shikamaru, be careful," Cordi laughed. "You might give away that you can actually get excited." She patted him lightly on the shoulder as he laughed at her joke. He held her away at an arm's length, and let out a grateful sigh.

"I'm just so happy," he sighed, nervously grinning at Cordi. He dropped his hands from Cordi's shoulders as she dropped her own. "Now, all I have to worry about is asking her," he smiled, scratching the back of his head, underneath where his ponytail sat.

"Don't sweat it," Cordi laughed. "I'm sure it'll go smoothly." She shot him a reassuring smile, pulling him toward the arena entrance. Gaara smiled at them and nodded in agreement.

Shikamaru thought of something, and his head instantly shot up. "You can't tell her anything!" he whispered in a harsh tone.

"Your secret is safe with us," Gaara reassured, giving him a small smile. _Is everything going to remind me about my predicament?_ He thought, not giving away his feelings in any way.

Shikamaru nodded nervously, then walked ahead through the arena entrance along with Gaara and Cordi following shortly behind. Shortly enough, they caught up with the rest of the group around when they were crossing the West Gate. Fred and Ronni were there too, just lightly bandaged up. Ronni was wrapped up in the arms of Kiba, while Fred walked next to Kankuro and Lynne. Shikamaru found his way to Rox's side, quickly wrapping his arm around her waist. "What was that about?" Rox asked, looking at the small group that finally reached them.

"Nothing," Shikamaru sighed, giving her a light kiss on Rox's forehead. Rox frowned at him as if she didn't buy it.

"Hey, I was actually wondering," Naruto interrupted, turning around to face Cordi and Gaara, who were walking hand in hand. Cordi shot him a questioning look, wondering what he wanted to ask. "What was the whole telling Rox that she was angry thing about?"

"Oh, that?" Cordi asked, as if the answer were obvious.

Rox turned slightly to face her and added, "Yeah, I was kind of curious about that too."

Cordi smiled. "Oh, it's just my own version of a Jedi Mind Trick," Cordi joked, waving a hand as if placing a spell on Rox, a grin all over her features.

"A what?" Kankuro asked confused, eyeing Cordi oddly, as Fred, Lynne, Rox, and Ronni all rolled their eyes at the youngest of their group. Naruto, Gaara, Shikamaru, and Kiba also looked confused.

"It's another one of her movie references," Ronni explained.

"Uh-huh," Cordi laughed. "It basically means that I told her to do something, and she subconsciously obeyed my command." She shot a sly look at Rox and did the same hand motion she did earlier and joked, "You are very thirsty. You want a drink."

"Quit it," Rox scoffed, turning back to face forward.

"So, basically, by just telling Rox that she was angry, you made her … angry?" Naruto asked, lips pursed.

"Yup," Cordi laughed, "and it worked like a charm."

"You know best how to make Rox mad," Lynne laughed.

"Yeah, I do. Hey, Lynne," Cordi laughed. Lynne looked up to her friend, not sure why she was laughing. They were just talking about all of their fights, which if she recalled, none of them were happy with, and she was laughing? She notice Cordi was pointing over Lynne's shoulder toward the gate. Lynne quickly spun around, seeing Sasuke and his group coming in from their mission, snickering about something.

A small smile creeped its way to her face. "Remember, you need to tell him about…" Fred murmured in her ear, gesturing to Lynne's abdomen. Lynne sighed, her good mood slightly ruined.

"Yeah," Lynne muttered. "I'll catch up with you later." The other four nodded, walking off with their boyfriends and fiancé for their victory barbeque feast. Lynne restrained her urge to run up to Sasuke, and instead opted to walk. "Hey," she smiled, waving to him.

"Hey," he smiled back. Suddenly, Lynne's nerves began eating away at her, and it was so obvious on her face. He frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"Well," Lynne muttered, not sure what tactic she should take. She decided to just lay it all out on the table for him. "Here's the thing. I'm pregnant."

Instantly, Sasuke's smile was gone. "Hey, Hoshiro? Could you drop off the mission report?" One of the men conversing with one of the other team members turned to Sasuke, nodding, before taking off toward the Hokage building.

As soon as the team members weren't paying attention, Sasuke grasped Lynne's upper arm in a vice-like grip, dragging her away from his other teammates. "That's not funny," he informed her when they reached a safe distance away from the other men.

Lynne's brow furrowed in confusion, and stated, "It wasn't meant to be." Sasuke just blinked at her. "Sasuke, I'm really pregnant. Twins. You're the father," she added, hoping the seriousness of her tone would get through to him.

He let out a harsh laugh and asked, "Are you sure I'm the father?"

"Are you saying I'm a whore?!" Lynne hissed back.

He gave her a shrug, his face slightly peeved with her question. "Well, the first week you were back, you had Neji and Sai on either arm," he replied.

Lynne gaped at him. "Neji is gay!!!" she almost shrieked, remembering that Neji wasn't out of the closet yet though. "And Sai's a freak!" Sasuke shrugged, his lips pursed and his eyebrows up in a challenging way. "What is wrong with you!?"

"Well," Sasuke started, "_I_ was pretty sure that both of us were clear on the fact that this wasn't supposed to be serious. It was just a sex thing." He glared at her. He let out a sigh, then added, "And now you go and do something like this."

"Like what!?" Lynne snarled. "YOU impregnated ME! I wasn't the only one in that bed that night!" He just glared at her. "And, correct me if I'm wrong, it was _you_ who wanted to start up your clan again!"

He sneered at her then asked, "Why would I want the mother of my children and clan to be a loose whore like you?" He shoved her back a couple steps, turning and walking away from her. He stopped a bit, saying over his shoulder, "They aren't a part of my clan. Get rid of them." Then he just walked on.

Lynne felt a huge lump in her throat, and she could barely breathe.

* * *

"HE SAID _**WHAT**_!?!?!?!?!?!" Cordi and Rox screeched, almost knocking the table over by standing up so fast. Lynne was at the end of the table, bawling her eyes out, and trying to wipe them away quickly. After Sasuke had walked away, Lynne ran straight to the barbeque restaurant, thousands of tears flying down her face. When she entered the restaurant, her friends saw her and quickly brought her over to their table. They coaxed her into telling them what happened, the men sounding eerily quiet. Especially Naruto, Gaara, and Shikamaru, who's eyes were wide with disbelief at what she told them he said.

"THAT DOES IT!!!!" Cordi snarled, shoving her way out of the booth and stomping toward the entry, murder in her eyes. Lynne would have told her not to, but she was crying so hard now she was hiccoughing, barely having any control over her breath.

"Wait up Cordi, I'm coming with," Rox stated getting up from her seat, the same glint in her eyes. "No one hurts my friends and gets away with it," she growled. With that they both stormed out.

"Oh, Lynne," Ronni sighed, getting out of her seat and walking over to her. "Let's get you cleaned up," she said looking at her friend. "Don't think about it. He's an asshole," she added, helping her friend up. Fred joined them and helped usher Lynne to the Ladies' Room, leaving the guys sitting there with burning pork.

* * *

"Katsumi," Madara called out, walking down toward her room in the West Akatsuki hideout.

"Yes sir?" she asked, not looking at him, but instead focusing on her project.

"How long until you finish?" he asked, eyeing the meat puzzle in front of her.

She smiled. "Oh, not too long." She looked down at her assignment lovingly. "A month at the most."

"Good," Madara sighed before leaving the dark room, only lit by the candle on the table.

"You better make it quick you fucking bitch," the head of the meat puzzle growled. Katsumi cast it a small glance, before leaning over it. Her glare bore deep into the head's magenta shaded eyes.

"You know," she smirked, "I could always _forget_ to sew a certain extremity on. You're choice, Hidan." The head just glared at her, but shut his mouth, probably for the first time in his life.

**AN:** Alright, I gave you a little Akatsuki. This just basically says, no Akatsuki for a month, because they need Hidan for Madara's plan to get Naruto. So, he's not going to go ahead and waste his people until he's able to use Hidan. Anyway, tell me how you guys liked it! I'm dying to know! Haha. Please remember to review. And I know a lot of people want to hit Sasuke right now. If you see a Sasuke around you, give him an extra punch for me, whether it be a poster or a plushie. ^.^


	35. Part 2: Chapter 13

**AN:** I AM SO SORRY THIS IS REALLY LATE! Two weeks ago, I got hit by a truck on my dominant side, so my right arm hurt for a while, thus delay. Then I had to study for Final exams which I had last week. And then this week I've been job hunting. But through all that, I was able to finish this! So here it is! And I wanna thank all of you guys for 7,400+ views! And over 150 reviews! You guys are awesome!

Also, I had to change two character names. Instead of Winnifred and Ronni Burke, it's Winnifred and Ronni Butler. Ronni's name was too close to a guy that did something really bad a couple years back that I had forgotten until my parents reminded me and forced me to change it. Sorry for any confusion.

And to Thomas Drovin, No, I don't think they will. They might, but they don't know who he is, so they'll just glare at him. And I always ignore the flamers. Unless they give me a decent one. The ones I've gotten aren't even that harsh.

And to GrimSpeck18, when were you thinking of calling me? .

And to anonymous (because you didn't leave a name), Thank you so much. Actually, my sis wrote the whole critic thing because my Mom wanted to write it, but she doesn't have a profile. I'll tell her you said so. ^.^ Anyway, Yes, my sister did do that. I would have beaten her to a pulp if I wasn't busy being sick and laughing at her screaming when I wasn't. Don't beat your sister with a shoe. She probably does it on purpose to get a raise out of you. Instead, just do it back to her just to mess with her head. ^.^ And yes, I would like nothing better than to do that to Sasuke, but hey, my bestie will kill me when I see her in a couple weeks if I did, and I rather like my life. ^.^

And to Azura Soul Reaver, Yes, he really is. But he does have his reasons … which we'll find out a lot later!

And to Dantesfreezer, Yes, this is an all-time low for Sasuke. He will have more, don't worry. He _is_ the king of Emoland. ^.^

And to NarutardKerry, haha! Yes, still love Sauce-gay! I shall add more Fred, but I'm not sure how exactly to pull more Ronni and Kiba in. Ronni's kind of an out there person, and Kiba's not in the show that much either. Oh, well, I'll try and get them in more!

And to PyroRoxas, I'm glad it was worth it! And alas, it was poor Sasuke. He made a fatal mistake. Ah, He needs more than a Gibb's smack. He needs a Ziva torture and beat down. Haha, and thanks for recommending my story. The more readers, the merrier! ^.^

And to Melbookgrl, here it is! ENJOY! ^.^

And we have newbie fave-ers/alerters!Melbookgrl, BadLuckoftheIrish, Storylover213, and PyroRoxas. Thank you guys, and welcome to the family!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi, Saito, Mi, and Ryuu belong to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Although, I did take some creative liberties with Saito and Ryuu, Thomas. Thanks a bunch!

**Chapter Thirteen: The Last Day in Konoha**

"YOU!" Cordi snarled, pointing an accusing finger at the youngest Uchiha. She and Rox had found him waiting outside of the Hokage building, probably for his teammate to come out. He slowly turned around, shooting them an indifferent glare. "Yeah, you! I've got a bone to pick with you!" she spat, stomping up to him. As soon as she got in arms length of him, she swiped at him and snatched him by the collar.

Rox stayed silent, glaring into his empty charcoal eyes. To tell the truth, just seeing him now, standing in a smug stance, just pissed the Turner sisters off to no end. He glared back at the both of them. He could notice the rims of their eyes changing colors, but he figured it was a trick of the light.

"What the fuck do you two want?" he snapped back, not dropping his gaze, which was just as heated as Cordi's and Rox's glares.

Cordi quickly threw a left hook at him, landing it squarely on his jaw. He quickly recovered, shooting another heated glare at her before slapping away her hand. "I thought the whore told you not to hit me," he remarked.

"She's a bit preoccupied at the moment, ass-wipe!" Rox spat as she disappeared and reappeared behind him, snatching his shadow sword away from him and hitting him where his neck met his shoulder with the butt of the sword. A sudden jolt went through his body from the pressure point she hit. Rox quickly tossed the sword aside, too far from his reach, only to be caught by one of Cordi's fire clones.

Sasuke's eyes quickly scanned the area, trying to figure out a plan. The sisters didn't give him any time though. Rox quickly sent a swift kick to the side of his head. He ducked, dodging the blow, grabbing her ankle in mid-air. With a simple fluid motion, he swung Rox toward her charging sister. Rox disappeared again, letting Cordi run in, looking as if she were about to land another punch to the face, but feinting and landing it instead into his diaphragm. He let out a cough at the harsh contact, losing his breath for a bit. She pulled away, seeing him collapse onto all fours, clutching his stomach with one hand while the other grasped at the cobblestone, trying to grasp onto it for some reason. Rox walked up behind him, snagging his jet black hair and snapping his head up, and forcing his body into a kneeling position. Cordi walked up to him, her eyes full of hatred and disgust. She snatched him by the throat, cutting off some of his breathing.

She saw his eyes changing until they reached their Amaterasu pattern. She knew that he rarely used this now because soon enough he'd need glasses. It wasn't much of a secret. She felt the beginning burns of Amaterasu on her shoulder. She smirked, lifting her free hand and pulling the black flame off her shoulder and holding it in a nice fire ball in front of her. His eyes widened seeing this.

"Oh, you're surprised," Cordi scoffed. "In case you forgot, I control _fire_." She squeezed his throat a little tighter, his eyes widening. He noticed her eyes. They were changing color from their usual brown to an orangish red, slowly drifting toward her pupils, giving her an eerie ethereal look. "And Amaterasu is just that. Fire," she continued. A vengeful expression flashed across her face. "Maybe you'd like to experience it for yourself," she snarled, about to push the fireball onto his chest.

She was stopped by a tendril of sand wrapping itself around her wrist, holding her hand back. Nobody had to look to know it was Gaara. Naruto appeared beside them, grasping both Roxanne's wrist and Cordi's other wrist, pulling them away from the Uchiha. The clatter of Sasuke's shadow sword sounded out as Cordi's fire clone was dispelled. Sasuke gasped, gently caressing his freed neck.

"As much as he deserves it," Naruto stated, looking to both girls, "I cannot permit you to kill him." He looked down at his former best friend, disappointment etched into his face.

"Nor can I," Gaara added, walking up to them. "You got them, Shikamaru?"

"Yeah," the lazy Nara sighed, a frown ever present on his face. He slowly walked over to the side, forcing the girls to walk with him as Gaara and Naruto let go of the girls' wrists. Shikamaru did a double take seeing their eyes. Rox had a light purple ringing her iris and Cordi a fiery orange, but the colors quickly faded as he saw them calm down. The moment he noticed they were calmed down enough, he released his shadow jutsu, freeing them.

They could hear the quick patter of footsteps as Lynne, Fred, Ronni, Kankuro, and Kiba came running into view. Lynne was the first to stop, eyeing the scene warily. Sasuke was still kneeling on the ground, lightly clutching his abdomen. Lynne slowly walked up to him, pity for his feeble form nowhere in her eyes, hate growing in her for the man in front of her. She did want him to hurt, that thought still pressed on her mind. Silently the group watched her approach him as she knelt down to his level. His pitiful appearance sent a flare of anger through her. She let her hand fly out, striking him across the cheek with a loud smack. Suddenly a sinister smile crawled onto her face and she asked, "You want to hear something funny?" He didn't reply, so she continued, slowly standing over him, "I honestly wish you'd died instead of your brother. At least then there'd be some honor still left in your clan name! I wish these babies were his instead. At least then they'd have a father worthy of the Uchiha name and idolization!

"I thought your clan was all about honor and righteousness! What honor? What righteousness? You're a fool! Weren't you the one who ran like an idiot towards power like a hungry whore? Who's the REAL whore? If you're so set on power, then think of this: a set of Uchiha twins with the Sharingan AND telepathy. Maybe even the power to raise the dead! And you, you've given it all up: the power, the prestige, the honor, the love, the family, your clan, and most of all, any respect I had for you! I wish I could have Itachi instead!" A tear silently slid down her cheek as she added, "I wish I never came to this place! Just go and DIE! Die like you wanted my babies to! I hate you! I HATE YOU! .YOU!" Tears were flowing freely down her face as she clutched her abdomen. Cordi quickly rushed over to her side, wrapping her arms around her best friend. Lynne brushed her off, stating, "I'm not finished," as she wiped the tears away from her eyes.

"These babies are mine," she growled dangerously at him. She pointed to herself and reiterated, "Mine." He slowly looked up into her furious, but hurt eyes. "You will _not_ tell me what to do with them," she ordered, holding back a sob. "And you SURE AS HELL don't have any say in how I handle my pregnancy. And you will not come within fifty feet of them, unless you wish to die by my hands. Understand?" He glared at her. She glared back, taking his expression as a yes, and turned on her heel. She walked away, all of her strength and willpower to follow through with her threats radiating off her presence with every stride. Fred, Ronni, Rox, and Cordi followed her off the road toward the center of town. Everyone except Sasuke followed them out, who just kneeled there, looking at the ground, realizing he had lost all of his friends … again.

He slowly looked up, seeing Naruto was lagging behind. "Naruto?" he asked. Naruto didn't say anything as they shared a glance. Naruto looked down, shaking his head at his old friend, before silently walking away, leaving Sasuke by himself.

* * *

"I'm a little confused," Shikamaru sighed, eyeing the girls sitting on the other side of the small living room. Naruto suggested to everyone that to calm down from everything, they should have some tea. He invited them all over to his place, saying Hinata most likely wouldn't mind. She didn't. As soon as they got there, she quickly ran to the kitchen and started preparing the tea after inviting everyone into the living room.

"What about?" Ronni asked, grasping a stick of chocolate pocky that Kiba had offered her. Rox had already eaten five sticks and was moving onto her seventh, which Shikamaru rolled his eyes at, but otherwise ignored it.

"Well, what you said about Itachi," Shikamaru stated, gesturing to Lynne.

Lynne slowly blinked at him, realized everyone's eyes except her friends were on her. "Y-you guys don't know?" she asked.

"Know what?" Naruto asked, eyeing her suspiciously, leaning forward in his seat. Even Kiba and Kankuro leaned, curious of what little fact they were missing from the story. Even Gaara leaned his head forward from the wall, interested in what she had to say.

"Why Itachi killed the Uchiha clan in the first place," Lynne stated, eyeing them oddly. This was their world, shouldn't they know what had happened already?

"Yeah, it was because he was crazy," Kankuro stated, as if the answer were obvious.

Lynne let out a small laugh and shook her head. "No, that wasn't it at all," she stated. The men's brows furrowed simultaneously, surprised to hear everything they were taught about the previous mass murdering Akatsuki member was wrong. "Ever since the Kyuubi attacked Konoha, there were suspicions that the Uchiha were behind it, because the sharingan is the only jutsu that can control it. It caused tensions between the Uchiha clan and the rest of Konoha, to the point where the Uchiha clan was planning to take over. At the time, Itachi was in Anbu as a double agent for the Uchihas and the village. It was inevitable that the people in charge, as in the Third Hokage, Danzo, and the two village elders, were going to ask Itachi to turn on his clan to prevent the Uchiha's hostile take-over. Konoha to Itachi was way more precious to him than his clan. To him, the only thing more precious than the village was Sasuke. And the rest is history," Lynne explained. Naruto, Kiba, and Kankuro looked the most confused of the group. Shikamaru was obviously processing the information, but it looked as if things were starting to make sense. Gaara just slowly nodded, fitting that piece into the puzzle that was Konoha history.

"But wait, wait," Naruto sighed, holding up a hand. "If Itachi was a good guy, why did he join Akatsuki, and how come we never heard that side of the story?"

"Because," Ronni sputtered through her pocky-filled mouth, "he asked the four people who ordered him to do it not to say it was on orders, otherwise no one would trust those four again." She quickly swallowed her food before adding, "It's kind of like the Fourth Hokage passed a law right before he died that no one was to talk about you holding the Kyuubi, so you could lead as normal a life as possible." Naruto just blinked at her. "He also wanted Sasuke to lead a normal life, and the best way to do that was to keep the Uchiha name noble and not tainted with an entire clan's treachery."

"And he joined Akatsuki to keep tabs on Madara," Fred added. "I mean, seriously, name one person Itachi murdered while he was in Akatsuki."

"Me," Gaara stated, no emotion present in his voice. Silence filled the room. Gaara heard Cordi mutter under her breath though, "Way to kill the conversation." He shot her a short glared, but looked back.

"Well … yeah," Fred struggled, trying to find a way out of the ditch she just dug for herself. "But the Akatsuki were killing off all the jinchuuriki. So if he wanted to keep tabs on Madara, killing you was a necessary evil …" Gaara's eye twitched at her, telling her that she was just digging herself further. "Someone please shut me up."

"Hey, Hinata, how's the tea coming," Naruto asked, not so subtly changing the subject.

"I'm gonna go help her with that," Fred muttered, quickly jumping out of her seat and nearly running into the kitchen. Gaara's annoyed glare followed her out.

"Gaara," Cordi sighed, pulling his gaze away from the doorway. "Itachi was doing the same thing Kirigi was. Both of them had to prove themselves to Madara to keep a place open for them in Akatsuki to stop him," Cordi reminded. Gaara frowned, but nodded his head. At least some things were clearer now.

"Anyway," Ronni sighed, grabbing another piece of pocky at the same time as Rox, "what are we going to do now? Are we still planning on the sunset thing?"

"What sunset thing?" Kiba asked, eyeing her slowly.

"Well, we thought it'd be a good idea to spend the last day we're all together watching the sunset from the Hokage Mountain," Rox explained around another stick of pocky. "I mean … that is if you guys are up for it …"

"I think that would be a very nice idea," Hinata added, walking in with a tray of steaming hot tea and a small sugar canister, Fred following close behind with a tray of china cups. Hinata and Fred quickly set the trays down on the coffee table and grabbed seats. Hinata perched herself on the armrest of Naruto's chair, while Fred took her previous seat, avoiding Gaara's peeved stare. Fred silently passed out the cups, poured herself some tea, and spooned some sugar into it. She silently sipped her tea, innocently eyeing the room, which was also quiet.

"S-so," Fred stuttered, setting her tea on the coffee table. She turned to her sister and Kiba and asked, "When are you two thinking of sealing the deal?"

The guys shot her a confused look as Ronni lifted her left hand and fiddled with the diamond ring on her finger. "W-well we only got engaged last night. We haven't discussed it yet," Ronni muttered shyly.

"Oh, you guys got engaged?" Hinata gushed. She quickly jumped up and asked, "Can I see?" Ronni nodded, holding out her left hand for Hinata to examine. "Wow, what a ring," she laughed. "How could you afford a ring like that?"

Kiba blushed, muttering, "It was my mother's." The guys shot him a strange look, which he avoided. Shikamaru pursed his lips, most likely thinking if he asked his mom for her engagement ring, she'd probably murder him.

Hinata dropped Ronni's hand and returned to her seat. "It's beautiful."

"Thanks," Ronni smiled.

"So, when should we meet tonight?" Kankuro asked, changing the subject again.

"Just before six o'clock …" Rox answered as she reached for the last piece of pocky. As she did, Ronni reached too, bumping her hand with Rox's. Rox looked down, her gaze following Ronni's arm up to her face quickly. Ronni gave her and innocent smile, to which Rox glared. "You want to lose a finger?" Rox asked dangerously. Ronni blinked innocently at her, quietly swiping the pocky stick from the platter.

Rox's eye twitched as Ronni lifted the chocolate covered stick to her lips. Rox slapped it out of her hand, knocking it into the air. As if in slow motion, Rox and Ronni watched it whirl through the air, rasping, "Nooo." They reached after it, trying to grab it before the other. Cordi quickly snatched it from the air, out of Rox's and Ronni's reach. She looked at both of them silently, disappointment and annoyance obvious in her glare. She held the stick in front of her face with both hands, by her thumbs and index fingers. She eyed both of them and then quickly snapped the stick in half. Both Rox's and Ronni's faces shattered, to Cordi's delight, their lips starting to jut out in a pout. Cordi silently handed them each a half ignoring their glares of betrayal.

Shikamaru just silently shook his head and muttered, "How troublesome."

* * *

Six o'clock rolled quickly around and they hadn't parted yet, so they decided to go together. Although, Shikamaru said he had to pick something up and would meet up with them later. He parted ways with them and quickly ran back to his house as others continued to the Hokage Mountain. As soon as he got to the Nara complex, he ran to his room, passing his mother and father having dinner. Yoshino Nara shot him a questioning glare as he ran past the dining room without so much as a "Hello."

"Where are you going?" she snapped after him. He quickly snatched something off his nightstand and ran back down the hallway. "Shikamaru!"

"I'm going out," Shikamaru sighed, as if answering her was too troublesome for him.

He didn't even look at her and ran out the door, before she could ask, "Where?" The door shut without an answer from Shikamaru, leaving Yoshino glaring at the door from her seat at the dining room table. Shikaku just pursed his lips and shook his head as he spun his chopsticks in the plate of noodles in front of him, getting a good size bite. "I swear," Yoshino growled, "that boy …"

"Just let him have his fun," Shikaku sighed, lifting the bite to his mouth.

Yoshino turned her glare to her husband and growled, "I did. I've let him have his fun with his foreign girlfriend, but I think he should have grown up a little by now. It's not going to last." Shikaku again just pursed his lips and stayed silent.

* * *

It didn't take too long for Shikamaru to catch up with the group. Luckily, he had gotten there before the sun started to set. He hadn't realized that it wasn't going to be just them. Cherokee sat with Kankuro and Fred on the first Hokage's head. Cordi and Gaara were sitting with Aleera on the second Hokage's head. Gryffin and Rox were on the third Hokage, waiting for him. Saryu was on the fourth Hokage's head with Lynne, Naruto, and Hinata. And Ronni and Kiba were with Nessie on Tsunade's head. Shikamaru quickly climbed up, joining Rox and Gryffin.

She smiled to him and commented, "You're just in time." He looked up and noticed the colors of the sky were just now beginning to change from blue to a fiery orange and red. The sun was going from its usual blinding yellow to a calmer pinkish orange. Rox smiled at him, enjoying the sight of him admiring the colors of the sky reflecting on his face. He sat down, clasping her hand in his, gently stroking her hand with his thumb, a nervous habit he'd had for years. His other hand reached into his pocket, fingering the small box.

Cordi looked over and noticed this. She nudged Gaara, who silently shot her a questioning look. She nudged her head over towards her sister, and they watched Shikamaru slowly prepare himself for his question.

"What do you think she'll say?" Gaara asked silently. Cordi shot him a look that asked "Are you stupid?" He let out a small sigh, and continued to watch.

The sun slowly disappeared over the horizon, and Shikamaru knew it was time. "Rox?" She turned to him, eyeing him curiously. Suddenly, his words seemed slightly lost to him. "Uhm," he struggled, his mind trying to fight back for his little speech. "Through the weeks that we have been together, we have gone through more than most couples ever go through. You've seen me at my weakest point, … and I'm pretty sure I've seen yours too." He paused. He couldn't believe it. When he was thinking up what he would say earlier, it sounded flawless, but now, he sounded like he was bumbling through a small lecture with no point. She just blinked at him, wondering what else he wanted to say. He sighed, "A-and, even with our years apart, I felt that those years made us grow closer than we were before, and I know that sounds crazy. But every day you were gone, I missed you more and more, and every day I hoped to see your face again." _Oh, God, I sound really cheesy. How troublesome._ Rox's face had turned from curious to admiration. _Just get it out. Just finish it, _Shikamaru resolved. "S-so, through all of this, we've stuck together. S-so I figured I should ask you …" He started, trying to pull the small box from his pocket. He tugged again, but the box seemed to be caught on something. He looked down and felt around the box. The hinge was snagged onto hem of his pocket. _What the hell?_ He cursed, frowning at his pocket. "I-I wanted to ask you if …" He tugged again on the box, hoping it would come unhooked. "… if you would be interested in …" Finally he got it unhooked, and he was able to slide it out. He let out a small sigh. "… be interested in marr—."

Rox launched herself onto him before he could finish asking his question, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips against his, tears flowing freely down her face. "Yes. Yes! Of course! Yes," she gasped between kisses.

He smiled, pulling her against him. He kissed her back lightly. He then pushed her away, sliding his hand down to her left hand, lifting it up. A smile drifted across her features and a small giggle escaped her lips as he pulled out the ring that was hidden in his pocket. It held a medium sized diamond with small amethysts on each side. He gingerly slid it onto her ring finger, squeezing her hand a little in excitement. As soon as the ring was securely in place, she called, "Cordi!" When she saw her sister looking over, she quickly held up her hand to show her the ring. Cordi, who was watching the entire proposal transpire along with Gaara, had a huge grin on her face and two thumbs up at her sister. Gaara's expression just held a smug smirk in place. Suddenly, something crossed Rox's mind, and she turned to Shikamaru, seriousness etched into her face. "When do you want to tell your family?" Rox asked. She knew his father would be happy; it was his mom she was worried about.

He pursed his lips, thinking of a good time to tell them. He hadn't even told them he was planning on proposing. And he was pretty sure telling them at the moment wasn't going to turn out well. His mother still hated Rox, and his father wasn't about to stand up for Rox against his wife. Yes, his father thought Rox was a great girl, but they both knew that if Yoshino wasn't happy, neither of them would be either.

"Give me some time," Shikamaru requested, drumming his fingers in the air. She eyed him curiously, until he reasoned, "I didn't tell my parents what I was planning, and I'd rather not throw this at them like a paper bomb and have it explode in my face. I want to ease them into it."

"So why ask me now?" Rox asked suspiciously.

"Because I wanted to get Cordi's approval, seeing as she's the only family you have here, before she left for Suna," Shikamaru stated.

Rox looked confused for a bit, till she remembered Shikamaru, Cordi, and Gaara staying behind a little after the exams. "So that's what you guys were talking about," she mused. Shikamaru nodded.

"It's cheesy if you ask me," Gryffin mumbled. It surprised Shikamaru. Since the last time he heard Gryffin speak, his voice had gotten a lot deeper and more gravelly.

"Nobody did," Rox stated, snuggling up closer to Shikamaru, ignoring Gryffin rolling his eyes at the couple.

* * *

"Ryuu," Madara called out, walking towards the end of the hall. He peered through the last chamber to see the silver-haired man look up towards the door from his clay sculpting. Madara didn't need to look to know it was a dragon. Ryuu had a fascination of dragons, Madara wasn't entirely sure why, but he'd figure that out later.

"Yes, sir?" he asked, standing up and setting his clay figurine down gently so as not to disrupt the construction of it. He wrapped a barely damp towel around it and let it sit.

"I know you've been curious about my actions concerning Kirigi's and Saito's escape," Madara stated, eyeing him suspiciously.

Ryuu's eerily green eyes dropped as a small irritated glare came over his face. "Mi won't stop bugging me about it," he spat. He looked up to judge Madara's expression, only to be reminded of the pumpkin-like mask in the way. He heard Madara chuckle from behind it, so he figured his expression held a smile. "I don't see what's so funny about it," Ryuu growled at Madara.

"Well, you are young …" Ryuu sent Madara a glare that told him he knew better. "… well, young looking," Madara corrected. Ryuu couldn't argue with that. Despite his age, his pale skin held no wrinkles, his body was very fit, even though it was hidden underneath clothes that showed he came from nobility, which was a black long-sleeved yukata and black formal, but flexible, pants. His silvery white hair was long and wavy, down to just past his shoulder blades. Only his eyes dared to betray his age. Each decade, they grew a deeper, more phosphorescent green. "And Mi," Madara continued, "Well, Mi is Mi. I'm not sure how else I can explain that."

"Well, Saito leaving is rather unfortunate for me," Ryuu stated. "Without him to perplex Mi's – tendencies, she's moved onto me. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to stand her incessant flirting without killing her."

Madara just shrugged. "Don't think Mi is a push over," he warned.

"Well, that's fairly obvious," Ryuu stated, scowling at Madara, "otherwise she wouldn't be allowed in here." They were silent for a bit before Ryuu stated, "Discussing Mi isn't why you were here, though." He turned to face Madara, a skeptical frown on his face. "Why didn't you have Shada go after them? Now our enemies will know exactly what they're facing."

"You mistake me for a fool," Madara sighed. "I knew Kirigi was a spy. It was obvious since his first test of loyalty to the Akatsuki, when we found Katsumi. He was obviously unsettled by taking an unstable young girl in our ranks. A true Akatsuki member wouldn't care." He paused dramatically so this information would sink in. Ryuu, a rarely confused man, looked utterly lost for a bit until the last pieces fell into place. Then Madara continued, "I only let Kirigi be privy to information I didn't mind our enemies knowing."

"Like Saito," Ryuu muttered.

"Precisely," Madara stated.

"But, that means the enemy will know how to get around the genjutsu you plan to use," Ryuu reasoned.

"I did put a genjutsu on Saito, but there are some things that need to be fixed about it. It's too – penetrable," Madara explained. "When Katsumi got back, she needed to have her genjutsu on her other half fixed. Aneko kept breaking through small cracks in the original seal. Kirigi didn't know, but Aneko is my real test subject. That's why Katsumi was only happy to join."

"So then, why put a genjutsu on Saito?" Ryuu questioned, not entirely understanding Madara's intellect.

"Saito was hard to reason with," Madara explained. "Even though his sensei, Shada Takeshi joined us willingly, Saito couldn't be convinced Akatsuki was the right choice. Shada would not join without his student, so I put the original version of the genjutsu on Saito to get them both."

Ryuu was about to say something when they both heard "THERE YOU ARE RYUU!" in a high pitched, girly squeal that only Mi could master.

Ryuu pursed his lips then muttered to Madara, "If you'll excuse me." Madara nodded, watching Ryuu swiftly sidestep down another corridor and disappear into the darkness.

"RYUU! WHERE'RE YOU GOING! OH! ARE WE PLAYING HIDE AND SEEK! I LOVE HIDE AND SEEK FOREPLAY!" Mi squealed, rushing past Madara and down the dark corridor. Madara could barely contain the laugh that escaped his lips as he walked off.

**AN: **So, you guys like? yes? Tell me in the form of a review! I love hearing what you guys have to say!


	36. Part 2: Chapter 14

**AN:** Alright, sorry this took forever. No I'm not dead. A lot of things went down this summer. I got a job, so I was pretty preoccupied with that. And I fell in love, funny enough how we fell for each other is very similar to what happened to Cordi and Gaara. Haha. . He is another reader so yeah he's been nagging me to update too. . I'm getting it from all sides. Also, I have switched majors from Pre-Nursing to English. Now I just have to worry about long ass papers… BTW, over 9000 views! HELLS to the YEAH! Thanks so much for sticking with me. I know, I really should have been writing the entire time, but I just had no time. And now my writing is suffering, but I'll pick it back up. I promise.

And to Thomas Drovin, No, he has his reasons, but it'll be a little while before we get there… actually hopefully not too long from now. ^.^ as for the Akatsuki, oh we'll get to them later.

And to Melbookgrl, Here it is, finally!

And to NarutardKerry, Yes, I did. It wasn't fun.

And to Gaaras1girl, I love your reviews! And yes, my bestie wrote me that speech telling me to put that in. I told her I'd find a way to put it in… well she only gave me the Itachi bit… haha, but yeah my respect for Lynne ran through the roof too, especially because I don't like Sasuke. ^.^

And to Azura Soul Reaver, Well who else is Mi going to run after, hm? It's ok. Some stalkers aren't that bad, just rather annoying.

And to PyroRoxas, No, it wasn't a joke. I did get hit by a truck. A dodge ram oddly enough.

And to DantesFreezer, Nope. Lynne often shared that opinion with her friends before meeting any Uchiha. I mean the girl I based her on does that all the time and she got mad when I told her Itachi would not be alive in my story so she made me give her character the next best thing. .

And to Backlashbutton, Yes she is or was...

And to HyperZenaku, I'm glad you love this story. And yes, I got hit by a truck. .

And I to my fav.+ and alerts+, KoolKat14, sisukeMisuke- The Great, HyperZenaku, Checkitoutkagome, panda lover 1234, Kitiara Woodbane, Tsunade senju, Backlashbutton, scaaagirl, and ThePeopleStillSleeping. Thank you guys sooooo much!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi belongs to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Thanks a bunch!

**Chapter Fourteen: Silence and Regret**

Naruto groggily ruffled through his paperwork early in the morning. 6:30 in the morning honestly did not work well for him, but it was a job requirement, otherwise he'd never get finished with paperwork. He let out a long tired sigh, fingering through the new batch of genin and trying to decide what strengths each one had that would work best with the others. So far, he had none. He didn't need to be omniscient to know today would be long.

The slow eerie creak of his office doors gave his creativity a small reprieve. He looked up to see the proud Neji Hyuuga somewhat strut into his office. He stopped just short of his desk and Naruto just gazed back at him absent-mindedly, wondering how on earth Neji could function at such an hour.

"You wanted to see me?" Neji asked, standing at attention.

Naruto looked confused for a bit, until he remembered that he had asked Neji to come to his office. "Right," Naruto muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. He gently slapped his face to wake him up, then gave Neji the most serious face he could muster. Neji couldn't help but cock an eyebrow at the Hokage. "I need you to watch over Lynne."

Neji just blinked at him. "If you don't mind me asking," he began, leaning slightly forward, "why does she need to be looked after?"

Naruto bit the inside of his lip before stating, "You've obviously heard of her pregnancy, right?" Neji nodded. He was at the Jounin exams when it was stated. "Well, she told Sasuke, the father, and he has rejected them." Neji went bug-eyed hearing that.

"That – that seems out of character," Neji muttered.

Naruto paused, pondering what Neji said. "Yes it does," Naruto agreed somewhat grudgingly. "But that's beside the point. I need you to make sure she doesn't do anything drastic. She's really vulnerable now, and I know you two are friends." Neji nodded.

"If I may," Neji started, pursing his lips as he wondered how exactly to continue. "Why did Sasuke reject Lynne?"

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. "I have no idea, something about her sleeping around with you or something else along those lines." Neji looked confused, obviously thinking of telling Sasuke that what he thought had happened wasn't what happened at all. "Neji, even if you told him that nothing happened, Sasuke isn't the trusting type. He most likely won't believe you," Naruto stated, ripping any thought of confronting him to shreds. Neji nodded, but he still looked somewhat conflicted by it. "Don't worry. It should work itself out. Sasuke will realize what really must have happened and see how foolish he was being. Until then, don't say anything to him." Yet again, all Neji could do was nod, agreeing with what Naruto said.

* * *

Cordi slowly made her way to the gate, slinging the bag she had over her shoulder in a Santa Claus fashion. She huffed as she struggled each step to the gate. It wasn't too far, just a block away really. Gaara had wanted them to move out early so they would reach the desert at a reasonable hour. Aleera had offered to fly them all, but Cordi and Kankuro weren't sure having Yukina that high and not really secured in place was a good idea. Also, Gaara still had his Kazekage caravan there, which needed to go back to Suna. Aleera was obviously miffed by their dismissal, but she understood their reasoning. So, like the first trip, she would walk beside the group.

As soon as Cordi got to the gate, she saw Aleera waiting for their group indifferently. "Hey," Cordi sighed, dropping her bag in front of her. Aleera barely cast her an annoyed glance before turning her head back to the gate with a small grunt. "You're angry about something," Cordi stated.

"No, I'm just a little peeved," Aleera corrected, not looking at her. Over the two years they had been gone, the dragons had matured to become full-fledged adult dragons. And with that maturity, Aleera had gained somewhat of a head-strong nature – not that it wasn't there originally. It's just Cordi thought that when she had finally grown up, Aleera would have matured out of her fiery temper. But Cordi later realized that because Aleera also was a fire type dragon, that part of her personality would only grow.

"You know why we can't ride you," Cordi explained, tired of telling her again, slowly dragging her bag over to Aleera.

"Well, why not just you?" Aleera asked. A small smirk appeared on her smug face. "We could get to Suna in ten minutes, then relax for a couple days and meet them at the gate when they get there." Aleera looked down at Cordi only to see her glaring up at the dragon in disapproval.

"No," Cordi barked. "Now lift me up."

"But whyyyyy!" Aleera whined, adding a little pout at the end.

"So I can tie my bag onto your saddle. Why else?" Cordi asked.

"No, why can't you just ride me?" Aleera asked, snatching Cordi and her bag off the ground with ease and placing them on her back. "I haven't really been able to fly for the past couple weeks because it'd scare the villagers. So when I finally get the chance, you guys say no because of a toddler. And walking through the woods is way too cramped for me. I'd barely have room to breathe. And that's with no one around," she groused.

"Because," Cordi grunted as she pulled her bag over to Aleera's saddle. She quickly began to fasten it in place as she continued. "If I rode you, we'd be leaving them behind again. And need I remind you that we are guests, and that I also don't have the key to their house. And if I just had you fly, there is a possibility that you'd fly off way ahead of us. I can't have that considering my bag is on your back."

"You don't trust me?" Aleera asked, somewhat offended.

"About this, not as far as I can throw you," Cordi answered, fastening the last strap in place.

"You can't throw me," Aleera muttered dumbly.

"Exactly," Cordi stated, preparing herself to slide down Aleera's leg. She gently pushed herself down, gliding against Aleera's leathery scales.

"Well that's just great," Aleera grumbled biting her lip a little. She paused a little then asked, "Can't we come to a compromise?"

"I think you should listen to your master," a recognizable voice of the Kazekage rang out. Aleera turned her head to glare at him only to see him unfazed by her candor.

"I'd eat you if Cordi didn't like you so much," Aleera stated in a blank voice. Gaara just shrugged and walked on to stand next to Cordi. Aleera let out an annoyed growl, which he also ignored.

"You're up early," Gaara stated. He didn't look at her though. She got the feeling he was hoping he'd be at the gate alone. That something was weighing heavily on his mind.

"Yeah," Cordi stammered, looking away from him awkwardly. "You said early in the morning…" she trailed off.

"Right," Gaara stated awkwardly. It was silent for a bit before he added, "I say that because I know Kankuro and Temari, regardless of what I say will wake up at 8:30 and we'll end up leaving at nine o'clock. It's at least earlier than ten o'clock."

Cordi let out a chuckle, knowing exactly what he meant. She reached her hand out to his, but as soon as her fingers grazed his, he pulled his hand away. She furrowed her brows in confusion then asked, "Gaara, what's wrong?"

He crossed his arms and bit his lip. "It's nothing. Just a – political thing." Cordi kept looking at him expectantly. He shook his head and stated, "Don't worry about it. It's just something I have to do when I get back." Cordi nodded, letting the subject go. She wished he'd have told her what was going on, but she felt he should have some privacy.

"Well, I'm here if you need me," Cordi stated awkwardly before walking off saying something about grabbing some breakfast.

Gaara wished he could have told her. He knew he must have seemed like an ass just then stone-walling her like that, but he wasn't comfortable telling her about his predicament. He didn't want to hurt her like that.

* * *

"Lynne?" Neji called walking through the doorway of her apartment. She hadn't answered the first couple knocks on the door, so he felt it was ok to go ahead in and see if she was ok. He looked around, noticing the only light on was in the bathroom. "Lynne?" he asked again, walking towards the light. He opened the door when no one answered only to find Lynne in the bathroom, her hair poorly dyed a blackish color and her wrists cut in several places, most likely by the kunai in her right hand. She hadn't even noticed Neji enter the room because she was crying into her elbows, with her bloody wrists curled into her hair, her hands holding the bloody kunai knife next to her face. He had also noticed that her hair littered the floor. She had cut her hair poorly along with the dye. Her bangs were now at an angle. She had long and short locks of hair haphazardly strewn throughout her mane.

Neji carefully knelt down next to her, easing the knife from her bloody hands. Her grip tightened on it and she shoved him back, making him hit the sink, holding the kunai to his neck. She looked angry, but at the same time in deep, deep despair. "Lynne," he whispered, trying to pull her out of this depression somewhat. He pulled her close to him, embracing her in a hug whispering, "It's alright, Lynne."

Her arms slumped down, dropping the kunai at their side. He felt her body shake as her lungs racked with sobs. She put her limp arms in his lap and knelt her face to his shoulder, soaking his shirt with her tears. He sat with her awhile, letting her cry until she had no more tears left to shed. He calmly rubbed her back in soothing circles, trying to help her calm down and ease her pain, occasionally letting out a comforting, "Sh. It will be alright."

As soon as she calmed down, he helped her up and gently got her cleaned up. He washed her cuts and bandaged them with a couple rolls of gauze and bandaging tape from his pack. She sat silently through it, as if she didn't even notice what was going on around her. It was as if she was completely numb. The only indication she was still alive was that she was upright, her body was wavering a bit and shaking, but still upright. As he finished, he tied the bandages off and placed her hands in her lap, patting them lightly. He eyed her slowly. Her eyes still held their gaze at the linoleum floor as if the pattern on the plastic tiles were interesting somehow. Her hair that hung in her face was black in some places and brown in others, and chopped away at odd angles. The ends of each strange cut were sticky and spiked from the dried blood dripping through her hair.

He frowned at the pitiful sight. Naruto was right. She may have been putting on a brave face yesterday so as not to worry her best friends, but she was clearly hurting on the inside. He silently created a shadow clone, leaving the clone at the apartment to watch her while he went to the market down the street to buy dye to help fix her hair. His clone filled an empty basin with water and grabbed a couple towels. He set the basin down next to her head and soaked a towel, whipping it through her hair absorbing the blood, before placing it back in the basin for more water. As soon as he finished washing out her hair, he brushed it and dried it so when the actual Neji got back he could go ahead and finish dyeing her hair.

She remained lifeless as Neji dyed her hair, massaging her scalp lightly to fix the color into the roots. The thirty minutes waiting for the dye to take its hold seemed interminable. Neither said anything during the entire duration of it, there was no need. After the long wait, Neji quickly washed the sticky liquid out of her hair, running his fingers through each strand to make sure every bit of it was washed out. As soon as it was washed he pulled out a kunai and measured the mismatched lengths of hair. He frowned trying to figure out an appropriate length with the shortest length she had cut on the side. He held the knife at her earlobe and cut the wet hair swiftly. Long and short strands fell to the floor with a slight thud. Neji grabbed another lock of hair and cut it at the base of her skull. He continued with that length until he had reached the other side. He ran a hand through her hair, shaking it out a little to see how the cut fell in place. He walked around to her front, cutting her bangs in an angle, shading her left eye from the sun.

He brushed her hair out, drying it again for her. Her hair had gone from a platinum blonde to a midnight black, from a hairstyle that reached her mid back to extremely short. It definitely was a shock. He put his kunai back in his pouch, muttering a small, "Finished."

As he cleaned out the basin he heard Lynne stand-up, looking at herself in the mirror. She looked at Neji, biting her lip, before uttering a "Thanks," before leaving the bathroom for her bedroom. Neji silently followed her, watching as she rummaged through her drawers to find something to wear. She pulled out a pair of ripped jeans and a long chartreuse sweater. Lynne threw them on the bed and was about to strip, when she noticed Neji in the doorway. "Uhm, could I have a little privacy?" she asked, eyeing him warily. He nodded and turned his back to her. She pursed her lips, but continued getting changed. "What made you come over?" she asked as she pulled her jeans on.

Neji quickly tried to make an excuse, but he then remembered her mind reading ability and rethought his options. "Naruto wanted to make sure you were handling everything ok," he explained.

Her movement stopped for a minute and she turned to him. She stormed over to him, swiftly grabbing him on the shoulder and turning him around to face her. She had nothing but jeans, her bra, and bandages on. But the glare he was getting from her was enough to not even notice her outfit. "Don't you dare utter …"

He cut her off saying, "He didn't ask me how you were doing. He just wants to make sure you don't do anything rash, like kill Sasuke in his sleep." She was still glaring at him, trying to make sure of his intentions. "It's not a formal mission, so he doesn't want a report. He just knows we're friends, and with Cordi leaving for Suna today …"

"Crap," she muttered, "I forgot she was leaving today."

"Anyway," Neji stated, "he just wants to make sure you don't do anything you'll regret later. And he thinks that if I keep watch over you, since we are friends, that you'll be less likely to do something so drastic."

She eyed him once again to make sure. She let go of him as soon as she was sure he was telling the truth. She swiped the sweater off her bed and quickly put it on. Neji eyed her as she quickly grabbed a bag and waltzed to the door at a brisk pace, wrenching the door open. She would have continued, but stopped in the doorway asking, "You coming?" Neji quickly nodded and jogged over to the door, taking the doorknob out her grasp gently and shutting the door himself.

* * *

Temari, Kankuro, Yukina, Aleera, and Gaara all waited in the main square, waiting for the last straggler of their party before they headed out to the desert. Several of Cordi's friends had shown up to say their goodbyes. Rox stood with Shikamaru, hand in hand. He gently rubbed her arm reassuringly. As much as Rox hated it, she had to say goodbye to her sister for a while again. Ronni stood there with Fred. Kiba was apparently still passed-out at his house.

Fred had awkwardly been inching her way toward Kankuro, not sure exactly what to say to him. She didn't want to say goodbye, but she didn't want their relationship to be uncomfortable and understated with vague letters back and forth between Suna and Konoha. Temari had noticed the eldest Butler's slow and self-conscious movements. She nudged Kankuro, taking the sleeping Yukina from his arms. Kankuro blushed and walked over to Fred, startling her a little.

"H-hey," he managed, stumbling over the words a little.

A smile brightened her features as she let out a small, "Hey."

They stood there awkwardly staring at the cobblestone road. "Well…" Kankuro started just as Fred began to say, "So…" They stared at each other, open-mouthed until both giggled uncomfortably. They both smiled, then tried to talk again at the same time. Kankuro smirked slightly to himself, inwardly laughing at them trying to talk. Fred bit her lip, holding back a huge grin. "G-go ahead," she offered.

Kankuro let out a small chuckle before licking his lips uttering a small "Thanks." He paused for a bit chewing the inside of his cheek. "Do you want to talk somewhere a little more private?" he asked, gesturing to their friends and family eyeing them with interest. Fred nodded after seeing Temari, Rox, and Ronni beaming at her. She could have sworn she saw Shikamaru give Kankuro a wink, but she ignored it. Kankuro gently placed his hand on her shoulder and pointed to a small out of the way corner out of ears reach. Fred nodded again and they both walked over together. They stood there silently for a moment while Kankuro collected his thoughts. "Alright, here it is," Kankuro started, snatching Fred's complete attention. "The past week dating you has been the most fun I've had in years."

"Same here," Fred smiled, taking his hand in hers.

Kankuro stopped and gazed at her, searching her eyes for sincerity. It was weird. No woman he had dated after Matsuri's death had ever thought he was interesting, much less wanted a second date. Something about moping and feeling sorry for what happened. As much as he searched in her expression, she seemed to be truly heartfelt with what she said. He smiled at her, his heart feeling as if a weight had been lifted. "That's great," he laughed.

"So – ," Fred started, eyeing their hands clasped tightly together. "How are we going to handle this?"

"I don't know," he sighed, squeezing her hands lightly.

"We could try for missions near each other," Fred offered.

"No, Gaara took me off any missions going outside of Suna because of Yukina. I'm mainly his body guard," Kankuro stated, "or as he puts it, Fan-girl patrol." Fred let out a small laugh, then bit her lip, pondering more scenarios.

"We could always write letters," she laughed. It seemed so archaic to her. "And if you want a date I can always ride Cherokee over and be there within ten to twenty minutes."

Kankuro chuckled, muttering a small "You could do that too."

"So it's settled," Fred smiled, "letters and an occasional ride to Suna."

"Oh, and you're getting students," Kankuro added, "correct?"

"Yeah, well I'm hoping I get students. I know how rare it is," she stated.

"Yup," Kankuro nodded. "Anyway, the Chuunin exams are being held in Suna this year in about three and a half months, so I guess I'll see you then."

"Yeah," she agreed, "Definitely."

They stood there uneasily a minute, just nodding their heads until Kankuro leaned in, stealing a kiss from her lips. He quickly pulled away and turned to go back to the group, grumbling small curses to himself for his awkwardness. Fred quickly reached out, grabbing his hand and pulling him back to her. She brought her other hand up cupping the side of his face and pulling him to her, landing her lips on his. Off to the side they could hear Ronni whooping. They both laughed and pulled away, smiling at each other then walking back to the group.

**AN:** Alright, I hope I didn't disappoint you guys. I know it's been a while.


	37. Part 2: Chapter 15

**AN:** Alright, sorry this took forever. This time it's midterms and projects and signing up for classes. Just 3 more weeks of school. 3 more weeks and then I'm onto my month long break! Give me strength. I'll try to update more. Trust me, I've had my sister and boyfriend hounding me every day about this. So, again, sorry it took so long. Also, 10,000+ views! BOO-YAH!

And to Thomas Drovin, Eh, no Sasuke won't show his ugly mug for a while… well at least a couple chapters.

And to Kazreil, I'm glad you find this so interesting. And yes, I try to delve into the pasts of each character as best I can. Some of them though, their story is mainly in the present or the future, so it just depends on each character.

And to seshoumaruluver1, I'm glad you liked it so much. Hopefully you will find this chapter to be equally enjoyable.

And to Gaaras1girl, Haha yes, Aleera really is legit! And yes, I had to have the Fan-Girl patrol. Someone has to be on it. He's the Kaze-freaking-kage. He can't focus on all his feminine fanatics 24-7 like they want. ^.^ I'm glad you liked it. Hopefully you like this one too, although it's a little more dramatic than the last one.

And to saBL, Yeah, Lynne did go emo. You would too if the man you loved and was hoping would be there for you isn't in your greatest hour of need. And sorry, I can't agree with the loving Sasuke bit, but yes he is a douche. And yes, there is another ass kicking in his future.

And to DantesFreezer, Haha, I could not agree more! But I don't have a gay friend. Could you stand in? Just Kidding! And Kankuro probably does have a Gaara puppet. I wouldn't put it past Gaara to give him one. ^.^

And I to my fav.+ and alerts+, Kaiti Loom, SilverStar56, and Sesshoumaruluver1. Thank you guys sooooo much!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi belongs to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Thanks a bunch!

**Chapter Fifteen: The Future Kazekougou**

Cordi had gotten back from her meal and said her goodbyes to everyone, well, everyone except Lynne. Rox, Ronni, and Fred had to leave as soon as they said their farewells to tend some more errands. So the Subakus and Cordi were left standing at the North Entrance, waiting for Lynne. They had waited about an hour and a half, due to Cordi's persistence. She couldn't leave without saying goodbye to Lynne, otherwise the guilt would eat at her the entire trip. Even though they were running late, neither Kankuro nor Gaara seemed too troubled by it. Kankuro was bouncing little Yukina in his arms, throwing her up into the air occasionally, making her giggle with delight. Gaara still seemed troubled and perplexed about something. Temari was the only one reminding their party of the time and that they should have left a while ago if they were going to reach the desert at a decent hour.

"Cordi, we need to go," Temari demanded, tapping her foot against the cobblestone road.

"Just another ten minutes," Cordi pleaded. _I need to make sure Lynne is alright._

"You said that thirty minutes ago," Temari growled. Cordi looked at the eldest Subaku with a sad, pleading expression, only making Temari scowl more. "We can't waste anymore time. We have a meeting we need to go to."

Cordi could see Gaara instantly tense up, and Kankuro suddenly stopped playing with Yukina to eye Temari warily. "What? What's the meeting about?" Cordi asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

Temari bit her lip and looked down, embarrassed for letting that information slip at such a time. Gaara and Kankuro glared at their sister.

Kankuro then turned to Cordi, forcing a calming smile onto his face and replied, "Oh, nothing you need to worry about; jounin placement and the like." Cordi frowned at him, but nodded her head like she understood and wouldn't press it further. She didn't need any special training to know he was lying through his teeth. She _was_ a big enough fan of the show that she knew a meeting about jounin placement wouldn't be right after they got back. Gaara would have to form the teams first, then they would discuss it in a meeting.

She turned away, still watching them in her peripheral vision, seeing Kankuro glare at Temari and mouth something along the lines, "Way to blow it, you idiot!" or, "I want a tomato sandwich!" She wasn't that great with peripheral lip reading.

But she did see Temari roll her eyes and mouth, "I'm sorry!" Cordi heard Temari let out a sigh muttering, "Geez." Something was up, something they weren't telling her

Suddenly, Cordi shifted her gaze over to Gaara. He seemed more distracted than he was before. _Whatever they are discussing in that meeting, it's why Gaara hasn't wanted to talk to me for the past couple days. _Then it dawned on her that most likely the reason Kankuro and Temari weren't going to tell her about it was because Gaara asked them not to... but why? Was he afraid of the way she'd handle the news? It had to be. Nothing else made sense. She was in their inner circle, and the Wind Country saw her as a powerful asset. They wouldn't hold something serious away from her, unless they knew she might react poorly to it.

"Anyway, we need to go," Temari stated after a couple of silent minutes. Cordi bit her lip before nodding and walking over to Aleera, who seemed to be ignoring the entire lot of them. It was obvious Aleera was still mad that she was being grounded during the trip.

_They're hiding something from you,_ Aleera stated in almost a bored tone.

_I know,_ Cordi replied, _I don't like it._

_You're supposed to? _ Aleera scoffed. Cordi lightly punched her, glaring at her scaly body.

Cordi was about to make a retort, until she heard, "You were going to leave without saying goodbye? I'm hurt!" She spun around to see Lynne, hair dyed black and cut short and wearing a chartreuse sweater. Neji stood a couple meters away, just basically guarding Lynne for some reason. Cordi didn't think twice about it.

"Lynne?" Cordi gasped, running over to one of her best friends, enveloping her in a hug. "What did you do to your hair?"

"What? Oh, yeah that," she chuckled, fingering her short strands of hair. "I dunno. I felt I needed a change." Cordi nodded and smiled, hugging her again. Lynne looked over Cordi's shoulder, feeling some powerful negative emotions, worry mostly. "What's wrong with them?" Lynne whispered, nodding her head over to the Sand siblings.

Cordi looked over then whispered to Lynne, "Actually, could you tell me? They won't say what's going on."

Lynne eyed Cordi weirdly then put her focus on the siblings. "Temari and Kankuro are worried about something, but I can't see it. They keep using vague pronouns, "Lynne explained quietly. Cordi furrowed her brow in confusion. Lynne frowned and added, "You know how they like to do in the comic and show. It's _that_ day, _that_ meeting, and _that_ subject."

Cordi rolled her eyes. "Try Gaara," she offered.

Lynne scowled at the fire-user, muttering, "Bossy-much?" Cordi glowered until Lynne rolled her eyes and shifted her gaze to the Kazekage. "Alright," she started, only to be silent for a bit.

"What?" Cordi snapped.

"He's blocking me. Should have known he'd have some sort of training," Lynne stated.

"Well, what can you get? Any clues?" Cordi pestered, beginning to annoy Lynne.

Lynne frowned at Cordi before saying, "I'm not a magic eight-ball."

"You're _my_ magic eight-ball for the moment," Cordi retorted.

"Try again later," Lynne replied, bored.

"Please?" Cordi begged.

Lynne turned to Cordi, sighed, and stated, "This is all I got. He's worried, extremely worried, about history repeating itself for some reason. He's ashamed to tell you about it and angry he's stuck in this predicament, but he doesn't say what. And he's scared he's out of time. Other than that, I've got nothing."

Cordi bit her lip, eyeing Gaara a little bit, thinking about what could be going through his head. For some reason, Ron's line in the fifth Harry Potter movie about emotions popped in her mind, to which Lynne laughed and said, "'Just because you've got emotional range of a teaspoon?'" Cordi chuckled, before eyeing Gaara, more worried now for his sake. "Look, whatever it is, it'll all be revealed soon during this meeting," Lynne explained, trying to cheer Cordi up.

"Tell me something I don't know," Cordi sighed. She turned to the spirit user, a pitiful half-hearted smile on her face. "Well thanks. I'll write and tell you what it's about."

Lynne smiled, and hugged her. "Thanks. I'll see you later."

"Yeah," Cordi sighed. "You take care of yourself."

Neji walked forward as Lynne nodded. "Don't worry, she will. I'll make sure of it," he stated, placing a hand on Lynne's shoulder. Cordi smiled and nodded, just before she ran back to Aleera.

"Now we can go," Cordi announced. Gaara wordlessly walked over to his oxen-pulled Kazekage carriage. Kankuro walked over to the carriage, carrying Yukina and handing her over to Gaara to ride with. Temari took the reins of the oxen as Kankuro took post behind the caravan next to Cordi, just in front of Aleera. "So," Cordi sighed as they started to leave, "when did you guys start using the actual Kazekage caravan?"

"After Yukina was born," Kankuro stated. "It's difficult to find a babysitter for her."

Cordi shot him a confused look. "Why is that? You'd think people would be clamoring just to babysit her, just because of her relatives," Cordi stated, obviously meaning Gaara.

Kankuro laughed before replying, "Well, originally yes. But she's a very picky girl. Apparently she's a terror to anyone she doesn't like, which is a lot of people. She's got a reputation, and even at the age of two, she's not afraid to uphold it."

"What do you mean?" Cordi asked. "She seems like an angel to me."

"She's only like that with four other people: Gaara, Temari, Fred, and me," Kankuro listed. "Otherwise she apparently scares the crap out of the babysitters by getting in places she shouldn't, like the weapons closet, which I don't understand because it's locked. She'll run off and play hide and seek, which she has gotten really good at. You have no idea how many times I've gotten called back to the house because the babysitter has lost her. And she's practically a genius when it comes to ninja puppeteering. She can cast up to three chakra strings already, which spells trouble for everyone else. If she doesn't like the food she's given, it normally ends up all over the person trying to feed her. And she sets traps to try and scare them. Like once she had a rubber snake sitting up somewhere and the babysitter walked by, making the snake leap onto her shoulder. We had to send that babysitter to the hospital because she had a panic attack. Yukina was laughing the entire time."

Cordi gaped at Kankuro. There was no way that the sweet little angel she had been living with the past couple weeks had done something like that. No words could get out of her mouth.

"Yeah, I know," Kankuro chuckled, "It doesn't seem like her, but hey, I guess she just likes us."

"Yeah," Cordi sighed, eyeing the carriage.

* * *

It had been a couple days since the Subakus had left, along with Cordi. Shikamaru had just met up with Rox for lunch, discussing wedding ideas, and most importantly, how they were going to break the news to his parents. They didn't worry about Rox's family because Cordi was basically it, and all of her friends already knew. But this left Shikamaru in a slight dilemma, since he saw his parents on a daily basis and had to pretend that nothing had changed. Shikamaru had gotten back to his house relatively quickly, within a couple minutes, but it felt as if hours had passed because of all the thoughts running through his head. Going home made him nervous, always worrying that something would give him away. He had been happier than usual the last couple days, but more jumpy around his parents. Although, jumpy for him was saying "hm?" too much, so maybe his parents hadn't noticed anything yet.

"Shikamaru," he heard his father call from behind him.

His shoulders jerked very slightly in surprise and let out a small, "Hm?" He mentally berated himself about his surprise. Shikamaru didn't turn to his father, just keeping his eyes on the wooden floorboards.

Shikaku placed a hand on his son's shoulder and sighed, "Let's take a walk." Shikamaru would have turned him down, but the way his father had offered it, the request sounded more like an order than a suggestion. So, Shikamaru followed his father out of the house, slightly peeved that he had to walk some more. It was all so troublesome.

"What's on your mind?" Shikaku asked as they walked onto the cobblestone street outside their house and down to the town's square.

"Nothing," Shikamaru lied, not looking at his dad. Acting as if nothing was wrong was way too troublesome than it was worth. He let the indifference ring through his voice, but his face said something completely different, which he knew his father would notice if he actually showed Shikaku his face.

"Liar," his father muttered under his breath, not even having to look at him. "You know, you can be so troublesome sometimes." Shikamaru frowned at his father's disapproval. He always did get along better with his father than he did with his mother. That's because his mother was a troublesome, xenophobic harpy that would tear him limb from limb for a toe being out of line. "I know it's something to do with Roxanne, which is why I didn't bring this up in front of your mother."

Shikamaru eyed Shikaku warily before nodding, wondering where his father was going to go with it. When his father said nothing, he asked, "What do you want to know?"

"Well," his father muttered, pursing his lips, obviously wondering how he was going to word the next sentence. Without missing a step in his pace, he scratched his beard and sighed, "I was wondering when you were going to tell us you were engaged."

Shikamaru stopped dead in his tracks. His parents knew? Then it hit him. _Oh, God, my parents __know__!_ Shikaku stopped and looked at his son, a victorious smirk playing on his face. Shikamaru's eyes grew wide and his face paled with dread. "Mom…?" he asked, hoping to whatever higher power there was out there would save him from being eaten alive by his mother, as he knew would be the consequence for his action of getting engaged to a woman she hated.

"She doesn't know," Shikaku stated, crossing his arms, which completely contradicted the cheerful face he currently had. Shikamaru let out a breath of air he hadn't been aware that he was holding.

"Thanks," he muttered, looking down at his feet.

"But, I will say this," Shikaku began, "you will need to tell her, sooner rather than later." Shikamaru bit his lip and nodded. "I'm serious. She knows something is up, but I keep telling her it's nothing. She's beginning to catch on to me, and you."

"Alright, I'll talk to Rox about it," Shikamaru sighed.

Shikaku pursed his lips and nodded, before smiling. "That was all," he stated, walking past his son, back to the Nara house.

* * *

The walk to Sunagakure had taken forever. The three days this time seemed to have lasted an eternity. All because Gaara and Temari were abnormally quiet the entire walk. Kankuro would talk, but again, anything about Gaara brought up he would shut up like a clam. Yukina would talk too, but she spent the majority of the time in the Kazekage carriage napping. Aleera hadn't gone hunting in a couple days to stay with the group. She wasn't one for conversation at the moment, unless the person talking to her didn't mind being eaten.

The Sunagakure walls were such a soothing sight. Cordi had been pining for the Sand Village for days. The opening to the city held a very recognizable face.

"Baki," Temari smiled, walking up to their mentor and giving him a hug. He didn't look used to it, but he still patted her on the back.

Baki looked over Temari's shoulder, eyeing Cordi. "You're back," he sighed. Worry was etched on his face as he looked in between Cordi and Gaara, who was stepping out of his carriage, Yukina in his arms. "So, the rumors are true?" he asked, eyeing both of them.

Temari knew what he was referencing and replied, "Yes, they are dating."

Baki quickly turned to her, his eyes shooting back to Gaara every so often nervously. "The meeting …" he started. Temari just shrugged. "Will he be ready?" Temari shrugged again, and they turned to Gaara who nodded somberly.

Cordi eyed everyone confused, not noticing Kankuro walk up after taking Yukina from his brother's arms. He nudged her shoulder to get her attention and asked, "Hey, since we have this meeting, we were wondering if you could watch Yukina for us."

It took Cordi a little while to comprehend what he asked, but laughed and said, "Yeah, no problem. I can do that." Kankuro smiled and nodded, handing Yukina over to her.

"Alright, here are the keys to the house," Kankuro added, pulling the keys out of his pocket and handing them to her. "We need to go ahead to the meeting. So, we'll see you later." With that, Kankuro ran off to catch up with his siblings and mentor who had already begun to make their way to the Kazekage meeting.

Cordi stood there alone, letting out a small sigh as she adjusted Yukina's position on her hip. "Bye bye, Daddy," she heard Yukina say, waving one of her small hands off toward her family. Cordi nodded slowly, realizing she had just been somewhat abandoned for the day and begun to walk to the house, bouncing Yukina lightly.

_

* * *

Ugh, this sucks!_ Fred groaned, sitting on a rock in the woods.

Cherokee peered her head out from the trees surrounding the opening. _Yeah, I haven't been getting that through your mental rants about Kankuro leaving for the past couple days,_ Cherokee groused through their mental bond.

Fred rolled her eyes at her dragon's response. _Well, it does. There is nothing to do around here. Cordi's gone. Ronni's out with Kiba, apparently swooning over wedding venues. I'd hang out with Rox, but she's off doing something with Shikamaru._

_ What about Lynne?_ Cherokee inquired.

_Who knows?_ Fred sighed. _She's been held up in her apartment with Neji for a while. Ever since everything with Sasuke and the twins, she hasn't really come out for anything._

_ You just miss Kankuro, _Cherokee laughed, her head disappearing from the trees. Fred heard Cherokee's heavy footsteps walking away from the clearing, off into the woods away from Fred.

"Maybe I do," Fred muttered to herself, pondering just how much that statement was probably true.

* * *

Cordi walked into the Kazekage building slowly. The Subakus had made it obvious they didn't want to be followed into their meeting. But they had also been extremely conspicuous about the meeting, making Cordi grow more curious and worried by the hour. She had created a shadow clone to watch Yukina as she took her nap, then snuck out. Her heels clicked with every step against the sandy stone floor. She slowly climbed the stairs up to the huge conference room. She had only been there once, and that was when she was slightly drunk and on her way up to the roof with Gaara. But she could still remember her way there.

As she finally reached the doors, she noticed a girl, maybe a couple years younger than her. She had to have been at least eighteen. The girl was sitting just outside the conference room, waiting for something. She looked nervous, but excited.

"Hello," Cordi offered quietly, taking a step toward her.

The girl looked up at Cordi, a smile appearing on her face. "Hi," she replied. Cordi wasn't one to make snap judgments about anyone, but she got a bad vibe from this girl. She had dark brown hair, fair skin, and light brown, almond shaped eyes. She was really pretty, but something in her eyes gave Cordi a malevolent feeling that she wasn't sure of. "Are you going into the meeting?" she asked, a fake smile playing on her face.

"No," Cordi replied, still trying to appear friendly. "No, I'm just waiting for a … a friend." She didn't feel as if this girl deserved the right to know that Cordi was currently dating the Kazekage, himself.

"Oh," the girl chuckled to herself. "I'm going in," she added snobbishly, more to herself, but it was apparent she wanted Cordi to hear her. Cordi shot her a questioning look. This girl honestly didn't seem as if she was anything important; so why did she get to go into the meeting, and Cordi wasn't allowed? The girl smiled and asked, "You're Cordi, right?" Cordi nodded, not saying anything. "Well, listen in. I don't mind. I'm sure they won't care either," the girl stated, shaking her head slightly with a smile on her face, something Cordi didn't like.

Against her better judgment, Cordi leaned toward the door just to hear. She had been curious about it for the past several days, and no one would answer. This was her chance to figure out what the heck was going on.

"So, Lord Gaara," one of the council members started, "we have a woman waiting outside. We have told you for the past several years if you did not find a bride and were married by your twenty-third birthday, which is in a little less than a month, we would find one for you." Cordi's breath caught in her throat, but she continued to listen. "Do you have any objections, so far?"

It was silent for a bit. Then Cordi caught the sound of a chair screeching and heard a woman say, "Please, give Gaara some more time. Surely you all appreciate the troubles and trials Gaara has already been through. Just give him some more time, and I'm sure we can find someone everyone is happy with."

"We gave him five years! He signed that contract that said once he was of legal age, he would take five years, if it was necessary, to find a wife. He has not," the previous councilman argued. "It was the same with your father. It's been a law since this country was created that the Kazekage was to be married by his twenty-third birthday. We have only had to find a bride for one Kazekage before, and that was your father. Maybe it runs in the family."

"Why, you…." the woman growled.

"Temari!" Gaara snapped.

"But …" Temari started, then quickly stopped, probably from a glare from her youngest brother.

It was silent for a bit before the councilman then asked, "Shall we bring her in?" It went silent again, but Cordi figured Gaara must have nodded or something along those lines. She heard several chairs scrape against the stone floor, then the tapping of shoes walking toward the door.

Cordi stood up, her face blank. She looked at the girl next to her who was smiling the biggest smile Cordi had ever seen, to the point that Cordi wanted to punch her in the face. The doors creaked open and her attention shifted to the door where Baki stood, shocked to see her standing there. "Cordi?" Baki muttered. "What are you doing here?" Cordi noticed over Baki's shoulder Gaara had heard him, and was looking directly at her. Shame and sadness was etched all over his face. Everything, all the clues Lynne had given her and even the vibes she had gotten from the girl and the Subakus, it all made sense now.

The rush of information made her stumble backwards a little before running off. She didn't know where she was going, she just had to get away.

**AN:** And everything blows up in their faces! Anyway, I hoped you guys liked the chapter. Please remember to review. ^.^


	38. Part 2: Chapter 16

**AN:** Hey, So I've got this chapter up a lot sooner than I have in the past couple months. I've had a lot of time to myself to type and just clear my head and let the words flow through this week. It's thanksgiving break over here, which I had for a week, and I'm stuck on an island off the coast of Maine. So I've been staying in the house and writing, well that and watching movies and cooking. It's been pretty cold, so I've been trying to stay near a fire. Anyway, onto the reviews and chapter. By the way, thanks for over 11,000 views! It's freaking awesome!

And to Thomas Drovin, Well, Yes, it was time to split them up again. And maybe Gaara will grow the pair he needs for the task of telling the council off. ^.^

And to Luxford Xigbar, I'm glad you like it so much. The lemons were definitely very interesting to write, and I will say there are several more in the coming chapters.

And to seshoumaruluver1, Yes, well Aleera convincing them is tempting, but I think Gaara can work it out. I mean, he's not Kazekage for nothing.

And to Gaaras1girl, Yes, well, Shikamaru was a given. Just wait. It will be very interesting, I promise. And Cordi running to Aleera? I think it would be Aleera running to Cordi to eat the council members…. ^.~

And to Me and Gaara 4ever, Yes, well they needed a little something something. ^.^ Don't worry, crap always happens to the best people. It builds character.

And to Blueangel, I'm glad you like it so far. And I'm glad it brought you back into the fold of Naruto. Why would you ever leave?

And to DantesFreezer, I'd prefer to have a boyfriend that is just completely awesome with his cooking abilities and his awesome style… but he's pretty hard to come by isn't he? No, I think I've found him… And yes, Mrs. Nara will be crazy, but that's another chapter, for another day. And Yes, Gaara should have spoken up sooner, but he's a guy who has had his heart ripped out and stomped on several times by the last girl he loved. So obviously he'll hold back.

And I to my fav.+ and alerts+, Luxford Xigbar and lizifang. Thank you guys sooooo much!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi belongs to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Thanks a bunch!

**Chapter Sixteen: Kage's Choice**

Gaara's mind had gone blank. He only saw Cordi for a millisecond, but that was all he needed. He saw the hurt, the betrayal, and the understanding flash over her face in that small millisecond, just before she ran away. She wasn't supposed to know. He was going to tell her – he didn't know when, but he was going to. He knew holding this information from her was selfish. It made him feel weak that his life was being so easily controlled. He didn't want to seem weak, especially not to her.

Seeing her run off with the pain of betrayal freshly stinging her heart obvious on her face froze him. After he stood just in time to see her face over Baki's shoulder, he couldn't move. He just looked at the spot she had just ran from. He didn't notice Baki had brought over the young girl, most likely eighteen, over to Gaara's side. Baki didn't show much emotion, but slight disgust, or maybe annoyance, was obvious.

"Lord Gaara," Baki started. "This is Kata Maro."

"It's just Kat," she corrected, flashing a smile that was obviously meant to be a warning to Baki, but he didn't care. Nor did Gaara, honestly. She seemed to be shallow, and was obviously not the sharpest kunai in the pouch.

Baki bit his lip and let out a small regretful sigh, then stated, "She is the woman the council has chosen for you to marry."

That snapped Gaara to attention. He looked at the girl. She had dark brown hair and fair skin. She'd be beautiful if something in the back of his mind didn't scream that she was just in it for the money. Something seemed off about her that he didn't like. She took his hand and gave it a shake, showing him how forward she was. He didn't like that either.

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Lord Gaara," she sighed contentedly. Gaara removed his hand from hers as she added, "I hope I am everything you've been looking for … in … a … wife." She trailed the last end, because he had stepped away and headed for the door when she was in mid-sentence, and she had no idea how to correct it.

"Lord Gaara, what's the matter?" one of the council members asked, eyeing him curiously as the other council members were doing.

"I'm sorry, I have an urgent issue I must tend to," Gaara spluttered, shaking his head slightly trying to organize his thoughts. He needed to find her. He wrenched open the doors and walked the way he had seen Cordi run off to.

In the conference room, the council members turned their gazes to Temari and Kankuro, who were eyeing each other and shrugging. When they looked around seeing the council members' curious glares turned on them, they shrugged again and muttered in unison, "I don't know."

Gaara was running now. He had broken into a full on sprint when he reached the stairs. He couldn't believe it took that girl Kat saying something like "I hope I'm everything you've been looking for in a wife," to realize he already had found everything he was looking for in a wife. The best choice for him had just run out the door because of his stupid mistake. He prayed that he found her in time, that she hadn't left yet so he could explain. He needed to explain; just to have the chance to be heard out. He couldn't believe he had been so blind before. He knew where she was headed. It was where she always spent her free time; the fighting arena. If not there, she was in her room, a place he did not want her to be.

It was as he suspected. He ran into the arena, seeing her collapsed in a ball in the far corner. She had one hand in the ground slowly picking up the sand and letting it slip through her fingers. He slowly walked in, not trying to be obvious he had just run across the village to find her.

"Cordi?" he asked softly.

"Go away," she groaned into her arms.

"Cordi," he sighed, pain gripping into his heart. He took another step.

"I SAID LEAVE!" she screamed, pulling her face up to glare at him. Not just at him, but into him, cutting him deep. Tears were streaming down her face fast, streaking her cheeks with each water trail.

He stopped, just a couple feet away from her. "I can't," he stated tenderly. She just glared at him. Gaara averted his gaze under the pressure of her stare as she slowly got up and marched up to him.

"What do you mean you can't?" she snarled.

He pursed his lips and muttered, "I need to explain what happened. Why…"

"I know what happened!" she snapped. "It's law that the Kazekage must be married by their twenty-third birthday."

"Yes," Gaara stated slowly. "Then you understand that it's…"

"It's not your fault?" Cordi interrupted. "Yeah, right. And it wasn't your fault when you led me on into thinking I had a chance to actually be with you when you knew, _**you knew**_, that it would _**never**_ work out!" With every five words, she slowly got closer until she was right in his face. And every time he backed up, she took a step forward, very much imitating a predator on the prowl.

"You left," Gaara mumbled.

"What?" she replied.

"You … _left_!" Gaara stated slowly and loudly, lifting his head to make sure he wasn't just going to take her words.

"I had to," she growled. "Remember the prophecy? Or did you forget that?"

"I didn't forget," he sighed, shaking his head.

Cordi crossed her arms, taking on a very defensive stance and said, "Then why?" she asked. She choked a little trying to keep her tears back before continuing. "Why did you lead me on knowing what would happen? You knew our time was too late, but you still …"

Gaara bit his lip, pausing to try and find the right answer. "You were my last hope," he stated. Cordi narrowed her eyes, confused by what he was saying. "When you left two years ago, we had just had that amazing night. I know you were ok with me after that, but it always made me feel weird. I was still hung up over Matsuri and her betrayal. Temari and Kankuro can tell you, I was a complete mess when you left. I was silent, miserable, and avoided going home a lot of the time with Kazekage work. The entire time, I was contemplating how Matsuri had seemed so perfect for me, and then you came along with all your charm and grace, and just as a friend you seemed perfect. The more I thought, Matsuri seemed to no longer fit the aspects of the woman I wanted to spend my life with. And when Matsuri died, that fixed it. I moved on shortly after. I started dating a couple months later, but no one seemed to be able to soothe the heartache I had gotten from falling in love with Matsuri the first time. That and they all seemed so shallow, like there was nothing to them but a pretty face and they were fake to try and impress me. I missed the companionship we had before you left. I wished I could talk to you again. But I didn't know when you would return.

"Within the last year, the council began to be brutal with their reminders of me needing to marry. If I went on a date, they would always hear about it somehow and begin to ask if I had proposed yet. This was after just one date with one woman. I began to stop dating to avoid it. Then two months ago, they decided they needed to remind me of the contract I signed when I was fifteen to take this job. They then stated because I hadn't found a bride yet, they were going to find someone for me. After that, I couldn't wait till I got to go to Konoha for the Jounin Exams. Naruto asked me to come a good three weeks earlier because all the kages had to be present for his inauguration, but we were also told we had to keep this information quiet. Two days after we got there, you came back. As soon as I saw you, I knew you were my last chance at getting to choose which woman I'd end up spending the rest of my life with. You were going to be the only chance I'd get to try dating without the council breathing down my neck. Everything was going great. You were different from all the other girls. You were real, and I already knew you weren't after my status or money, but you wanted me because you had wanted to be my friend even if I didn't want to be with you. The only issue I was having was getting over the knife Matsuri stuck in my heart. Something in the back of my mind said you would do that too, and I wasn't strong enough to go through it again.

"Then the council sent me a message saying that they had found a woman that fit all of their requirements. That was about a week ago. Ever since, I've been on edge. I didn't tell you because I felt bad I put you in that position and I didn't want you to think I was weak because I am having my life controlled so easily by these people," he finished.

Cordi had her jaw set, keeping her eyes from tearing up. Now she not only just felt like Gaara wanted a little tryst with her, but that he hadn't felt anything for her when she had been giving him everything. "So, everything you did… everything you said was a lie?" Cordi shuddered.

"No," Gaara sighed. "No, I wasn't lying. I did feel something for you that I felt I should check out before it was too late." Cordi furrowed her brow in confusion. He pinched the bridge of his nose, obviously frustrated. "I'm saying this all wrong."

"Then don't say anything and leave," Cordi ordered. When he didn't say anything she walked around him to leave, but he snatched her arm closest to him. "Let go of me," she snarled, her glare once again pierced through him.

"Please, just wait and hear me out," he pleaded. She could see the sadness in his eyes and knew he sincerely needed her to hear what he had to say. He took her silence as ok to continue. "I liked you, that's why I wanted to see if this would work. I know it was selfish of me, and I'm sorry."

"Are you done? I've got bags to pack," Cordi growled, crossing her arms and leaning away from him, preparing herself to rip her arm out of his grasp and continue on her way.

"Please don't leave yet," he begged.

"I think I've heard enough," Cordi snapped, wrenching her arm out of his hand and walking away.

"Cordi, I want to marry you!" Gaara yelled after her.

She stopped dead in her tracks, and sharply turned around. "What?" she rasped.

"I said I want to marry you," he clarified, talking a couple steps toward her.

"You're only saying that because you don't want an arranged marriage," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. She dropped her arms to walk away, but he grabbed her hand and whipped her towards him.

"I'm saying I want to marry you, because I've finally realized that you are the woman I love and you are the perfect woman to spend the rest of my life with," Gaara stated. Cordi's eyes were wide, not understanding completely what was happening. Even as he lowered his lips to hers and enveloped her in a passionate kiss. She kissed back, everything forgotten. All the pain from betrayal and the anger and the sadness all fell away, just leaving them together.

He pulled away and whispered, "I'm going to take that as a yes."

"I don't remember you ever asking me a question," Cordi stated, a little breathless.

He smirked, taking her hand and getting on one knee. "Cordelia Turner, would you please do me the favor, give me the honor of being my wife?"

Cordi couldn't believe it. For years she had dreamed of this moment, but never thought it would come. She let out a small giggle before muttering a small agreeing grunt.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that," Gaara laughed.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Cordi said jokingly. Gaara smiled and stood back up and gave her a small peck on the lips. He then took her hand in his and walked her back to the Kazekage building to explain what was happening to the Council members and his siblings.

* * *

Today was a crazy day at Konoha's ninja school for genin. Of course, that could be because today was the day genins were assigned their teams, people they would be working with for basically the rest of their days. It was Iruka's nightmare and dream all in one. Oh, he loved teaching and the kids were always great … when it all started out. The cliques always became apparent, especially with Akemi and Fuji around. He had never seen girls like this in any of his classes. They weren't rivals. They didn't care about boyfriends they each had, like Ino and Sakura did in their day. They were best friends, and the most popular girls in school, and the most vicious. That made it ridiculous trying to figure out teamwork activities to do, especially with the cliques so obvious like those two girls made sure it was. So he was completely happy to get rid of that class.

He was walking down the hall and could hear them yelling and messing around in the class room. He let out a loud sigh and opened the door to see paper airplanes flying around. Girls chatting about new hairstyles, hot boys, and the like. The boys were all trying to look macho and some of them were even pulling pranks on each other. Some were just chatting about which teachers they wanted.

"Alright, everyone quiet down and get in your seats," Iruka snapped, setting the list he was given down onto his desk, waiting for everyone to get in their seats. As soon as order was again instilled he began to call roll. As usual it was dull on both ends. Iruka would call out a name, bored to death, and the student would call back "Here," just as bored. Until he came across, "Koichi." Silence came back to him. He called again, then again, until the young boy ran in.

He had light brown hair and expressive blue eyes. He was panting as he shoved open the door. He caught his breath and huffed, "Sorry I'm late. There was a…"

"Just sit down," Iruka interrupted, motioning for the empty seat next to Fumio Yamanaka, Koichi's best friend. The boy nodded and took his seat. "Obviously Koichi's here," Iruka muttered to himself, checking the boy's name of his list before continuing the roll call. As soon as he finished he announced, "I have your team assignments here." He held up his list and began calling out the teams.

"Team Four: Akemi, Fumio, and Koichi. Your teacher is Winnifred Butler," Iruka called out. Fumio and Koichi high-fived, well Koichi held up his hand and waited for Fumio to return the favor. When he didn't, Koichi grabbed his best-friend's closest arm and slapped it against his own hand. Fumio laughed, but contained it to keep his brooding demeanor. Akemi, the queen bee of the school, had her face twisted up in a scowl, showing her disproval of the two.

"Team Five: Masato, Hitomi, and Takumi. Your teacher is Roxanne Turner," Iruka announced. Masato, Akemi's twin brother was smirking, until he noticed Takumi looking bored at Iruka. Honestly the only way Masato and Akemi could be noticed that they were twins was their light brown eyes, slightly pale skin, and vibrant red hair. His was more of a flaming red while hers was more of an auburn. Hitomi was extremely quiet, but her smile was obvious she was happy about the placement.

"Team Six: Fuji, Hiroshi, and Kei. Your teacher is Ronni Butler," Iruka stated. Kei was wide-eyed with excitement. Iruka could see him muttering something about training under a Legendary. Hiroshi was smirking and nodding at Fuji, obviously trying to hit on her from a distance. She gave a disgusted face and turned away with a shudder. Her best friend Akemi gave her hand an encouraging pat.

Iruka finished after listing off the eleventh team. So he ended his speech with, "Please come up and get your meeting times your teachers have scheduled for tomorrow. After that, good luck." He stood, letting the students walk up to his desk, grab the slips of paper with their meeting times on it, and then leave. After all the students had filed out, he looked to his empty classroom and frowned. When he walked in this morning, he couldn't wait to get rid of this class, but now … now seeing the empty classroom left a small ache in his heart. As much as he thought he wouldn't before class began, he knew he would miss this batch of students.


	39. Part 2: Chapter 17

**AN:** Hey. Sorry It's been a while. I've just had exams and then break. By the way, I did awesomely on them. ^.^ First thing of break though, I had to go to my brother's graduation and commissioning. . Overall it's just been hectic. But hey, this chapter is like 20 pages long, and it has a lime. I've reached 500 pages overall with this story. I have also reached 12,000 views, which makes me feel awesome! Thanks you all!

And to Thomas Drovin, I'm sorry, but you'll just have to wait on the whole Akatsuki thing. They are coming up, but not for another couple chapters. Just wait. ^.^

And to Dantesfreezer, Haha, yeah it does sound familiar. But I told you, I had that planned forever ago, like before we met and I knew anything about you. You are just weird enough that we ended up following it. .

And to sesshoumaruluver1, No, they aren't. Just wait. All will make sense soon. ^.^

And to Luxford's Xigbar, It's ok. I'm glad you liked it. Tell me how this one suits you. ^.^

And we have new faves and alerts! StrawberryOkami101, Montgomery Pedro, Yaoi-Beloved, Moonlight28, Alphathewolf, and Doppleganger13. Thanks guys. And welcome to the group!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi, Saito, Mi, and Ryuu belong to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Although, I did take some creative liberties with Saito and Ryuu, Thomas. Thanks a bunch!

**Chapter Seventeen: Mother Dearest**

"I have the target in sight," Takumi whispered into his mic attached to his headset. He hid in a bush in a clearing in the local forest. He heard rustling over in the tree where Masato was hiding. It didn't surprise him that poor Masato couldn't sit still. He was always jumping around and yelling. Sitting still must have been killing him.

"Roger that," they heard their leader, Roxanne buzz through. "What about you Masato?"

"Mhm," Masato grunted through. Takumi rolled his eyes at Masato's attempts of being cool and quiet. He wasn't sure when those two adjectives ever went together with Masato.

"Alright," Roxanne sighed. "What about you Hitomi?"

"Yes, ma'am," she whispered.

"Do we have the go ahead?" Takumi asked.

Before Roxanne could get an affirmative out, Masato leapt into the air from his tree branch, tackling the brown cat they had been following for the past hour. The cat let out a surprised meow as Masato's body collided with its. He quickly slipped the bag over the cat and swept the animal into it with a simple pull of the draw-strings. The cat howled and scratched at the bag, which Masato was holding up triumphantly.

"What happened?" Roxanne asked, urgency in her voice.

"Masato happened," Takumi growled into the mic.

Just as he was saying that, Masato announced loudly and proudly into the mic "I GOT THE CAT! THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED!" Takumi turned off the headset before Masato began to kill his ears with the incredibly loud laughter.

Takumi pocketed his headset and got up, walking slowly to their rambunctious teammate. Masato's laughter was killing Takumi's patience with him. "What was that?" he snapped.

"What was what?" Masato smiled curiously.

Takumi pinched the bridge of his nose before stating, "You are on a team. That means this isn't a solo mission."

"Guys."

"Yeah, so?" Masato shot back.

"So?" Takumi asked incredulously. "So, that means you can't just jump into things without the team leader's approval!"

Masato's brow furrowed as he recalled, "You said 'go ahead.'"

"Guys…"

"I was _asking_ for the go ahead," Takumi clarified. Masato rolled his eyes. "You and your stupid selective hearing!"

"Look! I got the freaking cat! Alright?" Masato snapped. "What more do you want from me!"

"I dunno! Maybe a BRAIN!" Takumi yelled back.

"Oh, that's rich coming from you!"

"What's THAT supposed to mean!"

"GUYS!" Hitomi screamed. Both boys, who were so close to each other's face their noses were practically touching, turned to look at the shy brunette. She was usually so quiet and timid. This was the first time either of them had the pleasure of hearing her yell. She put her hands together and looked at the ground as she continued, "We have to get the cat to th-the ho-Hokage Building… w-we'll lose money." Hitomi quickly walked away towards the village. The boys followed continuing their argument in silence all the way back to the Hokage Building.

As soon as they got there, they met up with Roxanne who was waiting for them. Without a word, she walked them into the assignment room where the Hokage, Naruto, was sitting, along with Iruka, and several people who help delegate assignments. Also in the room was a fat woman with way too much make-up on. Once the door was shut, Masato set the bag on the floor, not too kindly. He undid the bag and reached in, pulling out the cat and handing it over to the woman.

The woman began rubbing the cat against her cheek in a smothering manner, saying, "Oh, Mr. Snugglemuffins! I thought I lost you!"

"Mister?" Masato scoffed, eyeing the cat. "Then what's with the bow?" The poor yowling cat had a neon pink bow clipped into his fur on his head.

The woman shot Masato a scathing look before tossing her money in front of the Hokage. "Thanks," she snipped just before waltzing out. As she was shutting the door, Mr. Snugglemuffins leapt out of her smothering grip and ran over to Roxanne. He rubbed his head against her leg, snapping off the bow in the process.

"MR. SNUGGLEMUFFINS!" the woman screeched running back in and snatching up the cat. She saw the bow on the floor and snatched it up, batting it on the nose of the shocked cat. "Bad kitty!" With that, she bustled out of the room, the cat yowling to be saved echoing behind them.

Roxanne turned to Naruto, who just smiled as he took out their cut and pushed it forward. She grabbed it and divided it amongst the rest of her team, making sure each one got an even cut. Masato began to whine about how he did more work than the other two and should be given more, until Roxanne shot him a harsh look, to which he shut up. The kids pocketed their change and left.

She turned to the assignment committee, and stated, "I'll have the reports from today done and in by tomorrow."

She should have held her tongue, because as soon as she said that, someone came running in. "I have a message for Roxanne Turner," he said, holding up the piece of paper.

She snatched it out of his hand and opened it. The note read:

"_Hey Rox,_

_I think it's time we let my parents in on our engagement. My dad already knows_

_and it's only a matter of time before my mom finds out, and I'd rather tell her than incur_

_her wrath by not telling her until the day. Come over for dinner tonight. It should be_

_normal, so just wear something casual. And don't forget the ring._

_Love,_

_Shikamaru._"

Roxanne sighed and folded the note back up. "Make that tomorrow afternoon that I'll get you the reports." Naruto nodded, a smirk on his face, dismissing her for the day.

* * *

In Suna, a group of young genin was picking up litter. All three of the genin looked bored out of their mind as they picked up paper and trash repeatedly and tossed it in baskets on their backs.

"This is ridiculous!" one of the boys groused. He had dark brown hair and bright green eyes, which contrasted heavily with his tanned skin. He threw his tongs on the ground and dropped his bag in the sandy streets.

"Hey, Yoshiaki!" the girl snapped, "Help us finish it, or you won't get you're cut!"

"One, it's Yoshi!" the dark haired boy hissed. "And two, Cordi-Sensei wouldn't deny me my cut!"

"You should listen to Naoko," a voice sounded through the streets. Yoshi's mouth instantly shut and he sucked in his lips. The girl, Naoko, smirked as she continued her work, hiding her expression behind a curtain of blond hair. Cordelia jumped down from her perch and walked over to the brunette's area of clean up. "You don't do your share of the work, then I don't think it's fair you get your share of the cut either," Cordi clarified to the young genin.

Yoshi frowned, but picked his supplies back up and began picking up the trash again. "But why don't we get any real missions?" he whined.

"Because you only just graduated a week ago from the academy and have only been on a team for a couple days," Cordi answered in a tired voice, as if she had had this conversation many times over.

"Yes, but our missions are mainly consisting of picking up trash in the streets, picking up dog crap, and folding the Solstice Festival invitations!" Yoshi pointed out. "I mean, I have talked to several of our fellow students who got worse grades than we did at school who are getting better missions than us. The worst genin I know from school is doing missions like helping salesmen to and from market. All we get are the crappy paying, low rank jobs. What's with that!"

"Maybe Lord Kazekage doesn't want to put his fiancé in harm's way," the other boy offered, still picking up trash. He was younger, with pale skin and black hair. His hazel eyes never once shifted their gaze to the loud, older boy.

Yoshi took this in, eyeing the younger boy for a bit before turning on Cordelia, pointing an accusing finger, and saying, "So, it's your fault!"

"It's not my fault," Cordi answered slowly. "I will talk to Gaara about the job issue if you all want me to."

"I would love you to," Yoshi grunted as he picked up more trash, bouncing the basket to get a better grip.

"Naoko, what about you?" Cordelia asked.

"I don't care, but these D-rank jobs are getting rather dull," Naoko stated as she finished her area of the road.

"And Hosaka, how do you feel about it?" she called down to the younger boy. He just shrugged silently, continuing his work. Yoshi stopped and was watching Cordelia intently, hoping for her decision. "Alright, I'll talk to Lord Gaara for you all, just to throw in some C rank missions for us, maybe even a B."

"Yes," Yoshi cheered to himself, pulling a fist in as if he were getting ready to punch something. Cordelia pretended not to hear.

"Alright, you all are done for the day. Let's go dump these and get paid," Cordi smiled, gesturing to the baskets everyone was holding. That quickly received a couple cheers from the young genin. Cordi then led them down to the Kazekage tower for their payment.

* * *

Roxanne stood in the front porch area of Shikamaru's house. She was fussing over a wrinkle in her shirt, until Shikamaru opened the door, when she quickly pretended the wrinkle didn't even exist.

"I'm glad you could make it," Shikamaru sighed, walking through the door and embracing her in a hug.

"Wouldn't miss it," Rox smiled, giving him a small peck on the lips. He smiled at her then pulled her into the house, taking her into the dining room where everything was set up and Mr. and Mrs. Nara were just sitting down. Mr. Nara smiled at Roxanne knowingly while Mrs. Nara's expression was rather sour.

Shikamaru walked Roxanne over to her seat, and pulled it out for her, then took his own seat next to her. They each said a silent grace over their food, then dug in. The first ten minutes were excruciatingly quiet and full of smiles from Mr. Nara, glares from Mrs. Nara, and both Shikamaru and Roxanne awkwardly looking into their food.

"So, how are things going with you now-a-days?" Mr. Nara asked, trying to break the awkward, icy silence.

"Good," Roxanne replied, not particularly feeling like going into detail.

"Nothing new? No events coming up? No recent gifts?" Mr. Nara pestered. Roxanne just blinked at him. His knowing smirk was beginning to annoy her.

She was about to open her mouth to say "No," but Shikamaru beat her to it and said, "Actually, Mom I have something to tell you." Mrs. Nara looked over to her son, curiosity evident on her face. She put her eating utensils down and finished swallowing. When Shikamaru was sure he had her complete and undivided attention, he continued. "Roxanne and I are engaged. We are getting married in a couple months."

Mrs. Nara's eyes went wide just before her face went red with rage as she shot out of her chair. She could barely contain the venom in her voice when she hissed, "Shikamaru, outside!" Shikamaru grasped Roxanne's hand and gave it an affirming squeeze, then got up and followed his mother out into the hallway.

Mrs. Nara slammed the door shut, making Roxanne jump and look at Shikaku, who looked peeved and bored, as if he expected this outcome, and it was something he was used to. As soon as they were alone, they could hear on the other side of the wall Mrs. Nara screeching, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING! HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MIND!"

"No, mother. I love her," Shikamaru answered very plainly.

"YOU LOVE HER!" his mother screeched as if the concept was funny to her. "Shikamaru, you're too young to know what love is."

"I am not mother. I am twenty-two years old. And I can make decisions for myself," Shikamaru retorted.

"Honey, you don't even know her. You barely know her past. She could have been a prostitute in her country before. Or worse she could be a spy for her foreign government," his mother reasoned.

"Mother you're being a bit ridiculous. She can't even contact her country. She's from another **world**," Shikamaru replied.

"Oh, like that makes a difference!" Mrs. Nara scoffed. "You just rush into relationships. And when you find out she's a spy and hasn't given a damn about you or anything about you, you will be crushed, just like you were with your last foreign whore!"

"Mom, what the fuck!" Shikamaru snapped. "You are so fucking paranoid! Did it ever occur to you that two people who meet at an older age can fall in love?"

"Not for so little time. You've only been dating a month! And most sons make sure that their future bride is compatible with his family before making such a rash decision!" Mrs. Nara pointed out. "Why don't you try dating one of the nice girls from here, like Ino and Sakura?"

"Because I love Roxanne!" Shikamaru yelled. "I want to marry Roxanne, and I intend to do so!"

"Well you need my approval anyway. That's the law. And I refuse to let you marry that – that STREETWALKER!" Mrs. Nara screamed.

Roxanne felt tears sting the back of her eyes hearing this. Splitting up his family was the last thing she ever wanted. But his mother was so unyielding.

"I'm sorry you have to sit through this," Shikaku sighed, his head leaning against his hand in a bored fashion. Roxanne nodded, then looked down to her lap so he wouldn't notice she was crying. She looked down to the ring Shikamaru had given her and clenched her hands in fists on her lap, letting tears drip onto them.

The door slammed open, making Roxanne and Shikaku instantly shift their gazes to it. Mrs. Nara stood in the doorway seething. Her glare at Roxanne looked lethal. "You!" She growled, pointing an accusing finger at Rox. "Get out of my house you home-wrecking whore!"

Rox got up, nodding and facing the floor as more tears flowed freely from her eyes. "Mom," Shikamaru gaped, shifting his gaze between his mother and his fiancé. Rox stopped beside him and gave him a short sweet kiss, savoring his taste.

"I said 'GET OUT!' BITCH!" Mrs. Nara yelled again. Roxanne pulled away, giving Shikamaru a longing look, then ran off back to her apartment. As soon as Roxanne was gone, Mrs. Nara sat back down at her seat, sighing, "The nerve of that girl!"

Shikamaru looked at where Roxanne was standing. His fists were shaking with fury. "You had no right," he growled. He turned his glare to his mother who looked at him blankly. "You had no right to treat her like that!"

"On the contrary, Shikamaru, I had every right," Mrs. Nara replied.

"Nothing you said was true or even had any basis!" Shikamaru snapped. "You would have known that if you even took a chance to get to know her!"

"You don't understand," Mrs. Nara replied sharply. "I don't want to get to know her." Shikamaru gaped at his mother in complete shock. "She's from somewhere which we have never heard of, and therefore have no idea of the culture. She is related to the future Kazekougou, which means there is more likeliness she'll split us up. I don't want to lose you."

Shikamaru could only blink at his mom for a couple seconds to try and form words. "So, this is all because she's not from Konoha? And so you think she'll take me away from you?" His mom pursed her lips and flicked her food on her plate. "Dear GOD! Grow up, Mom! You will push me away before she will ever try dragging me away!" he snapped.

"Honey! The thing is it won't last!" his mother yelled back. "Open your eyes and realize it! I don't want to see you get hurt like you did with that sand bitch!"

Shikamaru just glared at her, then calmly said, "Goodbye mother." With that he walked briskly back to his room and began to pack all his things.

* * *

Cordi leaned over Gaara, a strange instance, but they were trying out new things. Cordi felt a little awkward, but decided to play it as much to her advantage as possible. She slowly kissed down his chest, her soft lips caressing his light, smooth skin. She heard him let out a moan as she moved down to his bellybutton, tongue-ing it a little before moving on down. "So," she drawled slowly, her lips gliding over his skin giving him every bit of the sensation, "my team has been begging me to talk to you." His breath hitched as she neared his pelvic area and slowly undid his pants, sliding them down. He tried his hardest to look unaffected, but his sharp breathing gave him away.

"W-what about?" he stuttered slightly, not really paying attention to what she was asking.

"Oh, well they want better missions, you know. They're ninjas, not dog-walkers," Cordi stated, positioning herself back up to him, her boobs in direct line of his face, but slowly dragging a hand from his inner thigh to cradle his member. She could feel it swelling in her grasp as she fiddled with it. He took in a jagged gasp "I mean, I understand where they are coming from. They just want to feel a little more important," she continued. She could see his mind was focused on two things at the moment; their foreplay, and her proposition she was about to ask. He growled a little to show he was following, albeit not thoroughly, but still following. He placed his hands on her hips, one roaming her torso, cupping her breast, before lightly massaging it. She began to nuzzle where his neck met his shoulders, licking and grating her teeth lightly across it. "So, I was wondering," she added between kisses, "if there was any way possible you could give us a better mission."

Part of him wanted to let out a harsh bark of a laugh and say, "Hell no." But another part was being so clouded by the sensations she was giving him, he knew he wouldn't be able to make a good call of her request at the moment. "Mmmmm," he growled, the rumbling from his chest feeling strange but intoxicating to Cordi. "Let me think about it," he offered, just as she was positioning herself over him. He could practically feel the warmth of her opening on his member. He felt her smirk against his shoulder, then quickly rolled off him, taking the sheet with her, leaving Gaara completely confused. He watched her walk to the door of the room, the sheet fashioned around her in a toga. His brows furrowed in confusion, and he asked, "Aren't we going to have sex?" He was hoping she'd turn around and say something along the lines of her leaving was just a joke, because he was now throbbing somewhat painfully.

She turned to look at him over her shoulder, an evil glint in her eye as she smiled and chuckled, "Let me think about it." With that, she walked out the door, closing it behind her, leaving Gaara gaping furiously at her absence for a couple minutes. Sand was beginning to sift around the bottom of the bed. _Oh, this will not do,_ he inwardly growled, before jumping out of bed and throwing a pair of shorts on. He walked out of his room, rather awkwardly though due to how uncomfortable his member was because of the cotton from his shorts rubbing against it.

He eventually found her in the kitchen, eating a rather sizable bowl of chocolate ice-cream. Sand whirled around him as he stalked behind her silently, so as not to give his position away. His sand quietly made its way up to her wrists, and before she knew it, he had her hand cuffed and turned around facing him. His sand slowly lifted her arms, making them drop his sheets, revealing her nakedness. He could feel she was turned on, but she tried not to show it.

"I thought I said you can't leave me hanging like that," Gaara growled, his eyes full of lust as he glared into her own. She smirked up at him, as if she were already getting what she wanted. "What?"

"Are you going to assign my team a legitimate mission?" Cordi asked, smirking at him.

His eye twitched at her request. He didn't want to give her team a dangerous mission, because that meant he was putting her in harm's way, and he couldn't have that without knowing exactly how everything would turn out. "No," he growled, before holding her head in his hands and leaning in to kiss her. His lips brushed against hers, feeling her breath leave lightly against his.

She leaned her head back into his wall of sand and away from his kiss, making Gaara scowl at her. She jokingly scowled back and said, "If you don't assign my team one, then forget about having sex."

Gaara narrowed his eyes at her, not liking her threat, nor her denying him, very much. He licked his lips, very aggravated with her. "Why?" He sighed, placing a hand against his sand wall. "Why do you want a mission so badly?" This was starting to get old. He wanted to have sex already, and she was making this difficult by making him work for it.

"Because it's not fair for my team to suffer and miss out on educational possibilities to make them better ninja just because you and I are lovers," Cordi explained, eyeing him warily. She wanted to make sure her words got entirely through to him.

"Fiançées," he corrected, eyes still narrowed. He knew she hadn't forgotten about the rather expensive rock he had bought and placed on her finger, because it was still on that finger, but "lovers" was too casual a term for what they were now. They were official, betrothed, soon to be newlyweds, not just two people who had sex with serious feelings for the other.

"Same thing," she stated, shaking her head. He conceded to that bit. Technically, they were "lovers," just the term's implications bothered him. "It's still not fair to them," she added.

He pursed his lips, knowing she made a valid point, and trying very hard to think through the sensations of his throbbing member and the sight of her naked in front of him. It was no good. He could feel himself caving, just wanting to be in her so badly. "Fine," he spat, "one mission, but with one condition." She rose her eyebrows, as if to ask what the condition was. "Temari, Kankuro, or Baki go with you," he stated.

She frowned, then said, "Deal." He smirked and leaned in again, placing a kiss on her lips, slipping his tongue along them lightly before pulling away and moving along her cheek to her jaw, then down her neck slowly. Her breath hitched as he sucked her collar bone lightly.

"Oh, and there's another thing," Gaara stated between his kisses, making his way down her chest and between her breasts. She gave an agitated sigh, hoping for him to continue his kisses and get over the foreplay and not lengthen it with this last tidbit. "You … are not … allowed … on top ... _anymore_," he stated between kisses and nibbles. She chuckled at this. She had never wanted to be on top in the first place. Ronni had told her back when she had first started having sex that being on top is completely overrated. Also, it felt more right that Gaara should be on top. It was when he seemed most dangerous and sexy to Cordi, reminding her of when she first fell for him, even though he was just a cartoon and a fantasy then.

* * *

Roxanne was cleaning herself up in the bathroom. Her eye make-up was completely smeared and her cheeks were tear-stained, along with her definitely not pretty swollen red eyes. She had gotten changed out of her dress and into comfortable sweatpants and t-shirt. She heard a knock at her front door as she was drying her face and she blinked a little in confusion. _Who on God's green Earth could that be? Especially at this hour?_

She put the towel down on the rim of the sink and waltzed over to the door. Grasping the handle and pulling it open revealed something she wasn't expecting. In the hallway, standing with a big bag of clothes, was Shikamaru. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

He shook his head and walked in, taking his bags in with him. "I'm sorry I just showed up like this, but I think it's the only way we can be together."

Rox looked at him confused. "Shika, what's going on?"

"We need to elope," Shikamaru sighed very quickly, almost not getting the words out coherently. She was about to ask "Why," when he just rushed out, "My mom will never sign the consent forms to let us marry. And if my mother won't allow it, we'd have to get your sister to sign it, which I don't doubt she would if it weren't for her marriage to Gaara being in a little less than a couple weeks. That means she won't be allowed to leave the country unless she's heavily guarded or Gaara is going with her. So we can't count on her signature unless we go to Suna."

"But, Shikamaru," Rox sighed.

"Rox, please don't try to talk me out of this. The only thing holding me back from marrying you earlier was my parents. After the way they treated you tonight, I don't care about them anymore. I just want to be married to you. And I am willing to give up being a shinobi to do it if I have to," Shikamaru stated, his expression dead serious.

Rox pursed her lips, knowing that his reasons were sound. She just wanted to be with him too. So she nodded agreeing with him, then said, "Just let me go pack my things."

Shikamaru let out a relieved sigh and jumped up, enveloping her in a hug and giving her a passion filled kiss. He squeezed her against him with delight, then let her go. He followed her back to her room and helped her pack her clothes and several belongings. As soon as they were done, they made their way down to the Northern Gate of the village.

On the way there, Roxanne sent a message to Griffin, saying, _We are leaving for Suna now. Meet us just beyond the Northern Gate._

Griffin apparently had just woken up and grunted a, _Fine._

As they approached the gate, they saw two figures standing there in the shadows. Shikamaru eyed them warily, but kept walking, making Rox feel a little more nervous. It became obvious that the two figures wanted to talk with them, so Shikamaru stopped, holding Rox behind him, protecting her.

"Who are you! Show yourselves!" he called out.

One of the figures kicked a streetlight they were standing next to, making it light up and show that Shikaku Nara and the Hokage, Naruto, were standing there. Shikamaru just stood there wide-eyed, as if he'd been caught doing something unforgivable. It kind of was, but that was beside the point.

"What are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked in a strained voice.

"We are here to save you and Ms. Turner from yourselves," his father said, taking a couple steps forward.

"I heard enough from Mother," Shikamaru snapped. "Don't push me away further!"

"That's not what he means," Naruto sighed, walking up to the group, his blue eyes looking straight into Shikamaru's brown ones. Shikamaru and Rox both furrowed their brows, not sure what he was talking about. "If you leave like this, you will both become Missing Nin. That means anywhere you go you will be hunted down like cattle. You could run, but not even Suna could let you into its gates."

"So what do you suggest?" Roxanne sighed, hopefully. She was getting sick of all the customs here. Two familial parties had to agree on the marriage and because they didn't, the only choice offered to them was eloping and becoming Missing Nin.

"I suggest you go to Suna and get married," Naruto smiled mischeiviously.

It was silent for a bit before Roxanne asked, "I'm sorry, what?"

"Naruto, that was the plan," Shikamaru sighed, closing his eyes in agitation.

"You aren't getting it though," Shikaku stated boredly, a impish smirk creeping into his face.

"Yes, see now it's a mission," Naruto explained, smiling at his own cleverness. He did a little excited jump to try and get them excited too.

"I'm sorry, but I don't see how this is a mission," Rox stumbled, trying to figure out what was going on.

Naruto sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And I thought, you, Shikamaru, being a genius would get this," he grunted. "Alright, let me spell this out for you. I'm _**ordering**_ you to go to Suna and get married."

"So we won't be Missing Nin because you are ordering us to go get married in Suna?" Shikamaru asked confused, hoping to clarify what Naruto was saying. Naruto always seemed to talk nonsense to Shikamaru.

"Oh, looky there, he gets it," Naruto muttered to Shikaku while smiling.

"Why?" Shikamaru asked confused. Never before had he ever heard of a Kage ordering a couple to elope.

"Well, after you stormed out, I knew what you were thinking of doing, so I ran an told Naruto what happened and what you were planning," Shikaku explained as if it were obvious.

"And I felt compelled to help because you're a friend," Naruto laughed. "You both are. And you're great ninjas. I couldn't stand the thought of losing both of you because of something like this."

"There is still a small problem. We need the familial contract saying they are ok with the wedding," Rox reminded them.

Shikaku and Naruto smiled. Mr. Nara stepped forward, putting a scroll in Shikamaru's hands. Shikamaru eyed it warily, then opened it. It was the familial contract they needed for the wedding, and at the bottom was Shikaku's signature.

"Dad," Shikamaru breathed, shock and happiness shining through his voice.

"Your mother might disapprove, but I think it's a wonderful idea," Shikaku clarified.

Tears of happiness were forming along Shikamaru's eyes. He reached forward and gave his father a hug, saying "Thank you," over and over again.

"Really," Roxanne cried, "Thank you so much!"

Shikaku smiled, "Don't mention it. It'll be worth the shock to see you guys come home and I get to see Yoshino's face." He sighed contentedly, then added, "That's all the payment I need."

Naruto was smiling at this whole "cornucopia of love" happening before his eye, but then remembered something. "Oh, since we can't actually say you two are on a mission to get married, since the council would say that's ridiculous and not useful to the nation's commonwealth, then there is a cover mission for you as well in Suna," Naruto added. When he got strange looks from Shikamaru and Roxanne he quickly added, "Oh, nothing too taxing since you'll be seeing them anyway. I'm sending you to drop off my R.S.V.P. to Gaara's and Cordi's wedding. The council doesn't like me sending my whereabouts on certain dates via eagle-gram, so you actually come at a very opportune time for me. And I already sent Gaara a message about this saying you both were arriving in the morning. He should receive that message tonight."

Shikamaru and Rox smiled at both Naruto and Shikaku, saying "Thank you," several times over again.

"Just go," Naruto ordered, waving them off. "Some of us have to sleep," he yawned, more to himself, but they got the picture.

Shikaku gave them a final hug and wished them safe travels just before poofing off. With that figured out, Shikamaru and Roxanne looked forward to their trip to the desert without worry of being hunted down.

**AN:** Thanks for reading, and please remember to review! Thanks again!


	40. Part 2: Chapter 18

**AN: **So, It's Christmas time… well Christmas Eve where I am. At my house I just got up and everyone is making cookies, and my dad is blaring the Christmas music … like every year. Our house is decorated with two trees, a medium tree (which we just found out the cats are eating) and a puny one in our kitchen that normally sits outside with its twin, but we have poinsettias this year. Anyway, I know not everyone celebrates Christmas as I do. So Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza… who ever celebrates those. And Merry Christmas! If I haven't covered all of them, Happy SOLSTICE … which was a couple days ago when we had our last Lunar Eclipse. This is my gift for everyone reading! And if I don't update by December 31st, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

By the way, This story has reached 200 reviews! You all rule! I love you guys!

And to Thomas Drovin, Actually this is my Christmas gift. I needed to get the other chapter out of the way before I posted this though, so… And Yeah, Naruto is a genius really. He can see very convenient loopholes. ^.^ And Shikaku is just awesome!

And to Dantesfreezer, Well eloping felt more his style with a controlling mother. Because even if it was an order, Mrs. Nara could still mess it up.

And to sesshoumaruluver1, Well Gaara and Cordi get married in January… so that's a little while away. However, Rox and Shika are very soon!

And to Xchica-de-musicaX, You are my 200th review. So thanks a bunch! Anyway, I'm really happy you like this so much. And honestly, I too am an aspiring story writer, hopefully eventually an editor or publisher. The best advice I can give is when you come up with a story, write the plot down. It kind of follows as blueprints so if you get lost, you know where you're going with it. First day I was writing this a year and a half ago, I sat down with my sister and bat around ideas, telling her where I wanted to go with it and writing it all down on a piece of loose-leaf. Then I typed it up, and reference it whenever I need it. Another tidbit is have someone edit for you. Before I had my sister read my writing and fix my errors, I used to instantly post as soon as I finished a chapter. No one read my stuff. This is actually the first story that has gone through well, and I thank all of my readers, like you, for it. It doesn't have to be a sister. My sister just happens to read a lot of fanfiction with me, so get a friend who reads these with you. One of my best friends, GrimSpeck18, helps me edit along with my boyfriend, Dantesfreezer, too when my sister isn't feeling up to it. (This is the first one he ever liked apparently. .) If you can't find anyone to edit for you, I will gladly do it. Just send me a message and I'll tell you how to contact me better. And lastly, I'd type up the first couple chapters (like say 10-15) before posting any of them. It's been my recent experience that most fanfiction readers will read stories that are farther along because their authors are more into the story, which makes for better writing and ensures the readers that the writers wont just leave them hanging, and if they do, they can always reread I guess for clues. I wrote the first 15 chapters before I posted the first two the same night. That was because I didn't have internet all summer, but still. Sorry for the novel… you came here to read a chapter. But seriously, if you want anymore advice, review or send me a message.

And to GrimSpeck18, I know the lack of Lynne/Sasuke is frustrating. I promise I'll put more in. Just wait. Merry Christmas!

And to KingofHeartless'09, No, it's not Cordy from Angel/Buffy. I got the name from there, because I love that show. But Cordy turns out to be very different from Cordi.

And we have new faves and alerts! Anglaissam, Xchica-de-musicaX, KingofHeartless'09, meshiaberry, and Charlotte-Rose. Thanks guys. And welcome to the group!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or its characters etc. You know the drill. Oh, and Kirigi, Saito, Mi, and Ryuu belong to Thomas Drovin, which I'm very grateful he's letting me use. Although, I did take some creative liberties with Saito and Ryuu, Thomas. Thanks a bunch!

**Chapter Eighteen: The Solstice Festival**

'_**Twas the day of the solstice, and all through the lands – No one sat still, not even our friends. For everyone had a part in the festival to play, and Cordi was looking for rooms where her sister could stay. While in Konoha, Neji looked after our Lynne with great care. He never left her side and was always right there. But the sun sank lower, their time almost spent. And it's time for the solstice to commence.**_

Cordi's team's mission today given by Gaara was in two parts. Cordi was to find a bedroom for her sister to stay, and her students were to escort the "very important" family member's of the future Kazekougou to the Kazekage Manor. Cordi wasn't given much time to look for rooms. She was running everywhere in the house for good guest bedrooms. Some weren't made yet, which had Cordi seriously wondering what had gone on that those rooms were dirty. And the others were too far away.

It wouldn't have been hard to get them cleaned up in time. One of the council's engagement gifts to Gaara had been an indentured servant named Minami. The poor girl's parents ran high on their debt and had to sell their only daughter into servitude. The Lord of the Wind Nation felt he had an excess of servants, so gave her to the Wind Nation Ninja council, who gave her to Gaara a week after receiving her, damn re-gifting.

Although she was a servant, she wasn't too good at her job. Cordi would always catch her day-dreaming, sitting around reading, or, Cordi's personal favorite, waltzing about the grounds getting lost. Cordi didn't have the heart to snap at her about not doing her work on account of her age and what had happened. But when Cordi found guest rooms like she had nearest the stairwell, it took her a great deal of patience, most of which she didn't have, to not go to Minami and point out the work wasn't finished. This time, Minami had decided to waltz around the grounds, so Cordi was left running about the house calling for her to help prepare the rooms.

It was ten o'clock, and Rox and Shikamaru were going to arrive any minute. Cordi finally managed to get the rooms where they were staying straight and ready for company. As she was running downstairs to straighten the kitchen, she found Minami there flipping through an old magazine sucking on a lollipop.

Cordi pursed her lips then snapped, "Minami!" The girl's brown eyes shot up, as if asking "Yes?" Cordi sighed, then said, "Could you help me out a little? I need the stove and counters wiped down, while I get the table ready."

Minami nodded her head quickly before asking, "Who's coming over?"

"My sister and her fiancé," Cordi answered breathlessly as she threw two tall red candles on the table with a green runner down the center. There was a loud knock on the front door that resounded loudly through the decorated foyer and stairwell into the kitchen. "And that's them," Cordi sighed, eyeing the table to make sure it was alright before running to the front door.

As the door swung open, Cordi could see Rox and Shikamaru standing in the front door, just behind Yoshi, who had his hands in his pockets and just walked in. Cordi gave Rox and Shikamaru a great big hug before pulling them in the house. Just behind them walking up the walkway from the street was Naoko and Hosaka holding Rox and Shikamaru's bags.

"Nice digs," Yoshi muttered, gazing around the foyer, not really paying any attention to anyone but himself.

Just then Minami ran in saying, "Ma'am, I finished wiping down the counters and stove like you asked."

"Thanks, Minami, that's it," Cordi dismissed, giving her a bright smile. Minami gave a small courteous bow then walked back to her room, to read most likely. Cordi's gaze passed over Yoshi as she turned to her sister, and she noticed Yoshi gawking at Minami. She could practically see the hearts in his eyes. She ignored it and focused on her sister. "Now, I have you two set in two different rooms upstairs. Is that ok?"

Rox was about to say that it was fine when Shikamaru jumped in, "Actually, Cordi, we came here to elope. I was hoping we could do that as soon as possible."

Cordi's eyebrows shot into her hairline with surprise then stuttered a, "Yeah, s-sure. I-I'll talk to Gaara about it, see if we can get it done just before the festival starts."

"Thanks," Rox sighed, giving her sister another big hug.

"Alright," Cordi smiled. "Now, Naoko and Hosaka, you can go ahead and take the bags up to the first room on the right. Thanks." She watched the young ninjas drag the bags through the entryway, just after setting them down for a bit. "Now, first things first," Cordi sighed, turning to her sister, "You need a kimono. Everyone in the Kage party is supposed to have one, because this is a formal festival. Shikamaru did you bring yours?"

He pursed his lips then muttered an, "I think so."

"Go check," Cordi ordered. "If not, I'll have Kankuro take you out." Just then Naoko and Hosaka came down from the stairs, Naoko massaging her sore arms. "Naoko and Yoshi, you two are dismissed," Cordi sighed. Naoko walked out happily. Yoshi although looked as if he were about to complain about some injustice when Cordi just pointed to the door. "You can call on Minami anytime after my sister goes home," Cordi stated, still pointing to the door. Yoshi walked out, grumbling something unhappily on his way out.

At that time, Shikamaru walked down the steps and gave an awkward, "Uhm… about the kimono…"

Cordi shook her head lightly then looked at her youngest genin. "Take him to Lord Kankuro's apartment. Tell him Shikamaru needs a kimono," she ordered. The youngest genin nodded, then motioned for Shikamaru to follow him, which he did. "Now, your turn," Cordi grinned, kind of evilly. "I just went to a boutique yesterday and they made my alterations a rush job because," she motioned to the ring.

"DAMN!" Rox gaped, snatching Cordi's hand out of the air. "That's a nice ring!"

"Yeah, I know, right?" Cordi smiled impishly. "Anyway, I think they'll do the same for you if you're with me. So come on!" With that, Cordi dragged Rox out of the house and down into the market place where a ton of setting up for the festival was happening.

* * *

Fred and Ronni were both getting ready for the festival. They both had gone out and bought some inexpensive Kimonos, as was the dress code for tonight's festivities. Fred was having issues tying the complex butterfly knot that went with Ronni's periwinkle blue kimono. It was then they heard a knock at the door. Fred ignored it for a bit as she finished Ronni's knot. There was another knock, to which Fred yelled, "Yeah! Hold on!" As soon as she was done, she walked briskly to the door and wrenched it open.

On the other side was a delivery ninja holding a package with a letter attached to the top. "This is for a Fred Butler," the ninja sighed slowly.

"That's me," Fred drawled, taking the box from his hands, signing the paper in his hands, just before shutting the door.

"What is it?" Ronni asked, running in curiously.

"Let's find out!" Fred smiled. "Quick, grab me a knife." Ronni ran into the kitchen, digging through drawers for a knife as Fred slipped the letter off the box. She quickly opened it and read:

_Dear Fred,_

_ I know this won't appear to be much, but I'm very happy I finally get to_

_do this. It's just a thing we do in Suna, a tradition if you will. You are the first _

_person I've been able to do this for. So hopefully you like it just as much as I liked_

_making it._

_Sincerely,_

_Kankuro Subaku_

_P.S. Yukina says "Hi" and is wondering when you are going to come visit. I told her_

_you'd let me know._

"Here," Ronni sighed, running in with a kunai.

Fred set the letter down, a smile plastered on her face as she eagerly cut away the tape. She set down the knife as she pried open the box. At the bottom of the box was a wreath woven with mistletoe. There was a small note attached to it saying:

"_You wear it tonight at the Festival to show that you have a sweetheart."_

* * *

"Lynne," Neji sighed, eyeing her closely. Over the past weeks, he had become really worried about her. Ever since Sasuke told her he had wanted nothing to do with her or their children, she had been in a constant depression. Seeing her smile was a very rare occurrence. Truthfully, seeing her in this much pain made Neji feel some of her depression. He had talked to Saryu about relieving some of her pain, but the dragon told him that he was already taking away most of her pain, which was only enough to keep her stable and prevent her from doing something terrible.

"Neji," Lynne asked slowly, placing a calm hand over her abdomen. She still looked out the window, watching the night sky. She hadn't left that spot for days, except only to shower. "Do you know why I was afraid of getting pregnant?"

Neji just blinked at her. "Disgracing your family and friends, and your honor?" Neji guessed. Honestly, he had no idea what it was, and those two reasons were the most popular.

"No," Lynne sighed. She bit her lip, before continuing. "When I was a young girl, I was diagnosed with a severe case of bipolar disorder, almost to the point of multiple personalities. When the kids at my school found out, I was shunned, so my parents moved me to another school, hoping to start a new life for me. That's when I met Cordi and Rox. They instantly began talking to me, smiling and telling me what a great year it would be. Then they introduced me to Fred and Ronni, two girls who rode my bus. I was so afraid that my … _curse_ would rid me of these great people, so I hid it from them for several months, until I just couldn't bear it anymore. I couldn't lie to them anymore about myself, so I told them why my parents moved me there and everything. I remember being so afraid when their silence met my ears, not wanting them to shun me too. They didn't. When I looked up, they were just surprised by my story and told me the other kids were assholes, it wasn't my fault that I was like that, and that they wouldn't judge me because of it."

"I-I don't understand," Neji stated, slowly blinking at her.

"This curse," Lynne sighed, "it's genetic. I have no way of knowing if my own children will have it or not."

Neji pursed his lips. "Do you still have it?" he asked slowly, so as not to upset her.

"No," she sighed. "Ever since I got my spirit powers, it stabilized. But, it still becomes apparent if I bring something back from the dead, or if I stretch and bend my spirit too much. I have no idea if this power will be passed down to my children."

"Don't you want your children to be powerful?" Neji asked, confused by her answer. Most families in Konoha wanted their children to grow up and become as powerful as Lynne and her friends were.

"Not if the price is their sanity," Lynne whispered, more to herself, but Neji still caught it. He instantly understood why her huge power could be such a double-edged sword.

"So, how do you feel about having kids now?" he asked slowly.

"Happy. I love these children. I can't wait to see how they are going to look, what they are going to do. I want them to be happy," Lynne smiled, gently caressing her abdomen lovingly.

Neji was silent for a bit, before standing up and saying, "Come on. We're going out." She shot him a weird look "There's a festival going on, and I think that's just what you need to cheer some part of you up."

* * *

Evening had finally fallen, and everyone was meeting up at the Kazekage house before going anywhere. Gaara stood in the lobby in a red kimono that matched his dark red hair. There were small forest green designs in the fabric, as was the obi and his pants. He looked around the foyer taking in all the festive decorations which Cordi had put together. She had lit garlands lining the banisters and an imported pine tree that she decorated. Well, not really imported. They didn't pay for it, because one of the days before Cordi was assigned her team, she rode Aleera out and had her yank one out of the ground, then cut it with Aleera's claw so it would fit in a tree stand. This was the first time Gaara could remember ever having a real solstice tree. Most other families in Suna had fake ones half the size. She also had candles lit, like above the fireplace and one in the foyer in a glass candle holder, and others just like it in every window. Outside was a wreath with a large red bow on it and soft lights surrounding the door. He had to say, it looked really nice.

A clearing of someone's throat brought him out of his reverie. He looked up the stairs to see Cordi, hair pulled back in a formal looking ponytail and purposefully pulled out fly-aways curled around her face. Her make-up colored her pale features. Her lipstick was a dark red and complemented her kimono really well. The fabric color of her kimono was the same as his, while her obi was more of a sage green than forest.

"Are you sure we aren't matching too much?" Cordi asked, pulling her white elbow-length gloves on.

"No," Gaara smiled. "You look beautiful." His eyes grazed over her image, pulling a smile on his face. He couldn't believe the luck he had to be engaged to such a beautiful woman. He walked over to the steps and grabbed her hand, helping her down.

Next to come down were Rox and Shikamaru. Rox had found a dark purple kimono with silver filigree. Her obi was silver to pull it all together. Her dark brown hair was down and curled, her long bangs pulled back and pinned. Shikamaru on the other end of the spectrum went with his usual green and gray. The Kimono was gray with a dark green obi and pants. They came down arm in arm, their hands clasped together firmly.

And last down was Kankuro and Yukina, who had decided to change here after helping Shikamaru. Kankuro wore a medium purple kimono with a black obi and pants. Yukina was wearing a light pink kimono with purple butterflies on it, and a purple obi. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into pigtails, making her look adorable. Kankuro had her bouncing in one arm as he walked down the steps to join the group.

"So, what's the plan?" Kankuro asked, stepping into the foyer.

"I think the Kage building first," Gaara answered, "we have an hour before the fireworks start and the festivities really get underway. So we have time to marry you two."

"Thanks," Roxanne smiled, squeezing Shikamaru's hand.

"It's no problem," Gaara replied, waving it off. "But we should be going." Everyone nodded and started walking out. "Oh, Cordi, I have something for you," he said, stopping her. She gave him a quizzical look, but followed him where he motioned. In the living room, sitting on the coffee table was wreath, a small one woven out of mistletoe. He picked it up, fingering the leaves nervously a bit. "There is a tradition here in Suna that on the day of the solstice, a man goes and picks several branches of mistletoe, the plant of love, and weaves it into a wreath to give it to his love. If the person he gives it to wears it, it means the feeling is mutual and that they are taken, so the nymphs or spirits of the solstice know who is free to steal away and who is not."

Cordi smiled and muttered, "That sounds very Pagan."

Gaara didn't get that, which he showed by giving her a small strange look. But instead of going into it with her, he continued, "Now-a-days it's something for teens and adults to do for people who are their sweethearts or people they care for. Anyway," he sighed, holding the wreath out to Cordi, "would you do me the honor of wearing my wreath?"

Cordi smiled, taking the wreath out of his hands and placing it firmly on her head, pulling her ponytail through to make sure it would ruin the work she put into her hair. As soon as the wreath was in place, she reached up and planted a passionate kiss on his lips, licking his lips lightly before pulling away. "Come on," she smiled, taking his hand in hers, pulling him towards the rest of the group, ready to go marry Roxanne and Shikamaru.

* * *

Lynne slowly twirled around in the kimono Neji let her borrow. It was apparently his mother's when she was still alive, and he hadn't bothered getting rid of it. It was beautiful. It was a yellowish orange with red flowers falling in a swirled pattern, reminding her of the sunset. Her obi was white and tied in the butterfly knot, which for some odd reason, Neji knew how to do. With it, she wore the traditional wooden sandals and the white socks that went with them. Neji just watched her, seeing her smile show, brightening her face a little.

"I've always wanted to wear a kimono," she laughed, watching the dress slowly flow around her. "I'm ready," she smiled to him, linking her arm with his as they walked out to the town. Neji took her down Main street, toward the center of town where everything was being held. He had never seen this side of Lynne. She was so excited, like a child in a candy shop, as she looked at all the boutiques. Stopping at every place with things for children. It made him smile.

"You know, I was invited to Cordi's wedding in January," Lynne smiled, fiddling with the soft silk.

"Are you going to go?" Neji asked, hoping it would cheer her up. Lynne's seclusion was starting to make him worry, so a wedding outside the country sounded great to him.

"If I'm allowed," Lynne sighed. "Naruto has to give me permission because I'm pregnant and all that. Especially with the Uchiha bloodline. Whatever, I'll sneak out if I have to," she smiled.

Suddenly it was silent. His hopes for a peaceful evening were quickly dashed. The cheerful, skipping Lynne quickly stopped what she was doing. Sitting in front of them was Sasuke and a blond girl, kissing at a table, holding hands. The happy Lynne, the Lynne Neji worked so hard to achieve was gone in an instant.

Within the blink of an eye, she had the blond girl by her scalp, and had yanked her off her chair. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!" Lynne bellowed at Sasuke.

He just scowled back at her. "Let her go," he growled in annoyance.

"Sasuke, who is this girl?" the blond asked.

"She's no one, Sherie. Just an ex-girlfriend," Sasuke stated, "that is, if you can call a whore's one-night stand a relationship." Lynne flung the girl to the side into another table, rounding on Sasuke.

"Don't you DARE call me a whore," she hissed at him, snagging the collar of his shirt up, holding him in place as she swung to punch him in the face. She saw red, and that was it.

"Get your filthy hands off my boyfriend," Sherie yelled at Lynne, yanking Lynne away from Sasuke. Lynne began to loose her balance, but found it again by swinging her fist at Sherie, knocking the blond back several feet. Sherie wiped blood off her lip, scowling at the spirit user. Neji tried to step in and drag Lynne away, but she shook her hand out of his grasp. "I can see why Sasuke dumped you. You are a whore, flinging yourself at Sasuke when you already have a man. And what poor manners too." That did it.

Lynne launched herself at the blonde, a battle cry tearing its way out of her throat. She punched the girl across the face, then punched her across her face with her other hand. Lynne then kneed her in the gut, knocking the blonde out of air, while Sherie tried to scratch and claw at her face. Lynne caught Sherie's hands at the wrists in her left hand, and slapping her hard with her right. Lynne quickly pulled her up by her blond hair, holding her head in a head lock.

Lynne took a deep breath before spitting, "I guess he never told you the real reason we broke up." Sherie just struggled, so Lynne continued. "He knocked me up, then refused to believe he's the father." Sherie stopped for a bit, looking at Sasuke, betrayal evident on her face.

"She's lying," he snarled, but Sherie wouldn't look at him anymore. Lynne let her go and watched as the blonde's brown eyes filled up with tears and then her hasty retreat. Sasuke stepped up to Lynne, glaring her down. "Are you happy now? I was actually serious about her," Sasuke spat, pointing after the blond.

Lynne sneered in disgust, letting her hand fly, hitting his face with a loud resounding smack. His face snapped back to look at her, a red hand slowly creeping to his skin, letting his own hand fly, hitting her across the jaw.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Naruto bellowed, walking over to them. "My office, now," he growled menacingly, before walking over to the Hokage building. Lynne quickly turned to follow him out of the festival. Sasuke waited a moment, a scowl on his face, before turning and following them.

"Neji!" Sai called, running toward the brunette Hyuuga. He jumped into Neji's embrace, giving him a small peck on the cheek. He slowly looked toward Sasuke, Lynne, and Naruto, the men of the group giving them both weird stares. "Honey, what happened?" Sai whispered to Neji, eyeing them.

"Nothing, Sai-kun," Neji stated, squeezing Sai's entwined hand in his. Sasuke and Naruto seemed to have turned green, while Lynne grinned victoriously. Sasuke's whole argument was that she slept with Neji and Sai, so it couldn't have been his children. Neji and Sai just proved her argument, which was she wouldn't sleep with them because they were homosexual. Why would they want to sleep with her?

"Why don't you guys join us?" Lynne smiled over to Neji and Sai. They smiled back, and nodded their agreement, following behind Lynne, Sasuke, and Naruto, hand in hand.

As soon as they reached Naruto's office, Naruto ripped his chair out from behind his desk and sat down sharply. He glared up at Sasuke and Lynne, her black hair dropping like a curtain in front of her face. "Sit," he ordered. Both pulled up chairs in front of the desk and sat down. "This has got to end," Naruto growled, eyeing both of them, "Now!" Lynne's face held a guilty expression, where Sasuke's just held an angry frown. "Both of you are acting like petulant children. Normally, I could tolerate this, but you two are tearing my village in half. I want you both to know I will not stand for it." Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, until Naruto shot him a death glare and held up a silencing hand. "I wasn't finished," he informed Sasuke. "Now, I had the twins genetically tested, and Sasuke, you are the father. So I want you to get off your high horse and do what's right," Naruto ordered. Sasuke couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"And how do you suppose I do what's right?'" Sasuke snapped back.

An evil grin appeared on Naruto's face as he looked at the two in front of him. "I want you two to get married. That's an order," Naruto stated.

Both of them went wide-eyed. "Excuse me?" Lynne gasped.

"You heard me," Naruto replied. "As your Hokage, I am arranging you two to have a marriage." Suddenly he dropped his smile to a serious dead-pan expression. "And it better be a happy one, or I will make your lives a living hell." He paused for a bit, letting that sink in before he stood up from his chair with a smile. "That was all." And with that, he walked out of the office, muttering something along the lines of, "I seem to be doing an awful lot of marriage arranging recently…. maybe that's my real calling," and leaving Sasuke and Lynne gaping in their seats.

After several minutes of awkward silence, Lynne decided to break it with an awkward, "So."

"Yeah," Sasuke muttered. They stayed silent for another couple minutes.

"What on earth made you think I was sleeping around?" Lynne asked randomly.

"You mean beside the fact that you were?" Sasuke replied sarcastically.

"I was not!" Lynne growled.

"Don't lie," Sasuke snarled back.

"I'm not lying," Lynne hissed.

"Yes you are," he pushed.

She slapped him yelling, "NO I'M NOT!" She tried to slap him a second time, but his hand moved with lightning speed, snatching her hand out of the air and throwing it back at her.

"That was pitiful. You're so weak, you loser," Sasuke muttered. All Lynne could think was, _**DEATH!**_ She gave a loud battle shriek, launching her body onto his, pinning him to the ground and punching him in the face. Suddenly he pinned her arms to her side and rolled on top of her. She struggled against him, but he ignored it. "If you weren't lying, explain why you didn't have your virginity," he demanded.

She struggled more as she growled, "You knew I lost my virginity years ago, dumbass!"

"So, you freely admit to sleeping around?" Sasuke inferred.

"Only with guys I was serious about," Lynne snapped, still struggling. She sighed in exasperation before sarcastically asking, "What, you think every girl has to wait for you to have sex with them before they can have sex with anyone else? Don't be so narcissistic, asshole!"

"No, but I do expect the woman I intend to marry to be faithful," Sasuke remarked.

"For the last time, I wasn't cheating on you!" Lynne snarled. "Whoever told you that needs to get their facts right!"

"I didn't need to be told," Sasuke replied dangerously. "I saw it with my own eyes."

Lynne blinked a bit, then rasped, "What? With who!"

"Neji, Sai, the bartenders at three of Konoha's most popular bars, Shino …" Sasuke listed.

"EW! SHINO!" Lynne gagged.

"Yes, Shino," Sasuke replied.

"I wouldn't touch Shino with a forty foot pole. I HATE bugs!" Lynne groused. A small shiver of disgust ran down her spine thinking about Shino filling her with his bug-like semen, making her writhe underneath him. "EW! Just EW!" She squealed.

He paused, thinking about everything she just said. "You didn't sleep with Shino?"

"GOD NO!" Lynne gagged. "I'd rather not wake up with cockroaches coming out my vag., thank you very much!"

Sasuke reasoned through it. Suddenly, what she said made sense, considering Lynne freaked out about a gnat on her ceiling. "What about the bartenders?"

"I've only been to one bar, and that was Halloween… I mean the Fright-Fest," Lynne stated. "I may have had more than one serious boyfriend in my lifetime, but not at the same time, and that doesn't mean I go sleep with random strangers." He blinked at her. "I'm not a slut. And I've already told you that Neji and Sai are gay, and if you didn't believe me, you saw it with your own eyes."

Sasuke let go of her, getting off of her. "Maybe… no…" he muttered to himself, slowly pondering how all of this could have occurred.

"What?" Lynne asked.

"Well," Sasuke started, "Sherie was a girl from the academy that had a huge crush on me. Back when I was twelve, I just thought she was really creepy. She was the kind of girl that would save my used tissues and stuff. I kind of forgot about her until several weeks ago at a café. She seemed to have mellowed out. She invited me to a casual lunch, but I told her I was dating you, so it didn't seem right. She couldn't have though …"

"She couldn't have what?" Lynne pushed.

"She couldn't have set us up, could she?" Sasuke asked.

Lynne pondered the possibility, before replying, "They do teach transformation jutsu at the academy. It certainly is a possibility." Sasuke quickly stood up and marched toward the door. "What? Where are you going?"

"Sherie has some explaining to do," Sasuke growled, slamming the door behind him.

**AN:** Happy ChristmaHanuKwanzika! And please leave a review! Thanks!


	41. Part 2: Chapter 19

**AN: **So, actually I found a way this can work. I will still write my book, and my sister will be ghost writing this for me, while I will still go through and edit it, so it's still me writing it, and I'm telling her what I want to happen. She's just getting this onto the paper, so I can do both in half the time. I hope you guys like the new chapter. It gave me a lot of difficulty starting it off, and I actually did have writer's block with it halfway through, which is why I haven't updated in forever. I'm really sorry about that! Anyway, onto reviews.

To Sesshomarulover1: Yes, everything gets sorted out…. Eventually.

To Thomas Drovin: Knowing Sasuke he probably would have….. I would have too. But no, Lynne wouldn't allow that, well she might have….. Sherie was really just a cameo role in that one chapter.

To MangaMagic: I know the Hokage and Mizukage are both women, only that was stated after I started writing this. XD And yes I will finish writing this when I finish my other book, which the deadline is the end of August. If I haven't finished it then, I'll have to postpone the book, but I will be working on this alongside my work instead. But, by all means, when the book is published, please buy it. ^.^

To Obakeinu-9.11: Thanks for the compliment. The reason I don't really have them using jutsus is because they didn't really go through the academy to learn them. Meanwhile, yes they can use small things like shadow clones (Lynne does this is in her first mission with Sasuke) and running up trees, they use their elemental powers for pretty much anything else because of their lack of chakra training. Does that make sense? And I already use narutopedia, but I've found it has missing information! D: Also, while yes, I have the lemons in here to show pairings and give depth to the relationships, that isn't the main part of story, which is what I'm trying to stick to, but thanks for the offer. And they won't be sitting there and taking it for long. I have some battle scenes already written out against the Akatsuki, and I'll be bringing up Akatsuki's plan to get Naruto in the next couple chapters. Again, thanks for reading and the criticism. It's greatly appreciated!

To kaaayyytteee: I'm glad you like it so much. I hope it stays up to your standards. ^.^

To QueenOfKites: I don't mean to sound egotistical, but it is pretty epic, isn't it?

To Shinodino: I'm glad you're hooked. I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

To MyRegardsto thereader: Honestly, I searched and searched for real life to the Naruto world stories, and I couldn't find one! But after I posted this, they springing up everywhere. I'm not sure if I'm a trend setter, or if others just came to the realization of that type of story being epic at the same time I did. And I understand getting caught up in a story and forgetting to review. I'm glad you like this story.

Also, I'd like to welcome these people to the Legendaries' family! Frostyx3, Xx-Lou-xX, MyRegardstothereader, wtfcaroline, Alya Kihaku, 2lazy2thinkofaname, CooKie-Chaan, Sobubbles1, Siari Keeper of the Flames, Shifuni, Maxim0, Silver Frostwolf, liv4luv645, ImaginarySuicide, Saxer, Xchica-de-musicaX, blackcatgurl, Riss737, blackcatgirl, Obakeinu-9.11, OCcreator, MangaMagic, Sydsas, kaaayyytteee, and Tobyisagoodgirl, and I think that's it. That's honestly the most people I have had to write down. Thanks guys! Thanks so much, and Welcome!

Now on with the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of the character. I just own my five and the plot… and if I really have to explain all this, it's a bit absurd.

**Chapter Nineteen: Two Weeks Later**

That night, Rox and Shikamaru skipped the last of the festivities and headed straight to their room after the ceremony. Their long travel had made them tired, but they were still hyped up from the ceremony. As they walked through their bedroom door, they shared a passionate kiss. Shikamaru pushed them through the door way and closed the door for privacy as he intensified their movements. He grasped her hips and ground his into hers. Rox had never felt this kind of intensity and her control of her lust for him was almost gone. He pushed her toward the bed, easily slipping her obi off her body, making her kimono fall open. She sat on the bed as he leaned over her, both trying to unknot his obi, which fell to the floor, along with his shirt. They each hurried to remove the last bits of clothing they had. Normally, Rox would have been crazy nervous to see a completely naked man in front of her, and she had to admit she was a little anxious, but she knew she wanted this, wanted him, more than anything.

Slowly, Shikamaru pushed her onto her back as he laid his body over hers. He gently ran his hands over her body, learning what she liked. The soft caresses made her give a soft sigh, even as she ran her hands across his body. He kissed a hot trail starting at her mouth and ending just under her navel. His fingers continued to massage her skin, leaving her breasts and heading down her body. They found her bud and she gasped as he began to rub gently. After a few seconds of this, Rox was panting, her cheeks flushed and her eyes half closed, so Shikamaru moved onto preparing her entrance for him. "Shika…" Rox gasped when he inserted a finger into her. Her breath hitched each time he moved or added a finger. Shikamaru kept at his ministrations, hoping to prepare her as much as possible so when the time came, he wouldn't hurt her. Although, he couldn't help but smile when he noticed her toes curling and her hands fisting the sheets.

After a few more moments of preparing her, Shikamaru deemed her as ready as he could make her and crawled back up her body. He lowered his body slowly against hers once more, putting his fore arms on either side of her head, to steady him. He smiled down at her, lowering his head to her ear and breathed in her soothing eucalyptus and mint smell. "I love you, Roxanne," he whispered in her ear, making her shudder. He pulled his head back to look her in the eyes, "are you ready?" She nodded, opening her legs a little more than they already were, allowing him better access. He smiled again and kissed her just before he pushed into her core. Roxanne gasped at the feeling, half pain and half something else. He filled her absolutely and for a second she worriedly thought that her body wouldn't be able to accommodate him. Shikamaru paused, putting his forehead against hers, dark brown eyes locked with hers. "You ok?"

"Yes, just….. let me get used to you," she gasped, hands clenched slightly on his upper arms. Shikamaru smiled down at her and lowered his lips to hers in a heated kiss. After a few moments, his lips left hers and trailed along her jaw to her ear and down her neck. She tilted her head to allow him better access, her body arcing into his slightly as she moaned. He took that as permission to start moving his hips slowly against hers. In response, Rox wrapped her legs around his waist, giving him a much better angle. "Faster," she moaned after a few minutes and Shikamaru obliged, kissing a trail back to her mouth. With each thrust, Rox was surprised to find he was able to go deeper into her. She felt something coil tighter and tighter in her abdomen until finally it snapped, sending waves of electric ecstasy through her body, making each and every one of her muscles spasm. "Shika… maru!" she gasped as she orgasmed for the first time. Her eyes were wide and slightly unfocused and her breathing hitched.

Shikamaru felt the muscles in her core tighten then spasm around him and felt his own body respond by releasing the tension that had been building in him. He grunted as his muscles shuddered, just like hers had seconds before. His arms shook with the effort of holding his upper body up.

When both their bodies calmed down, they were left lying there, panting, sweat glistening on their skin. Shikamaru put his forehead to hers once more, nuzzling her face slightly as they caught their breath. Slowly, Rox lifted her lips to his, hands tangling a little in his hair, now that the ponytail was slightly loosened. He felt her smile against his lips as her hand reached for the band holding his hair back, and tugged it off. The rough locks fell around his face and she pulled back to look at him, a broad smile on her face.

"I've always wondered what you looked like when your hair isn't pulled back." Rox said quietly, combing her fingers through his hair.

"And?" Shikamaru prompted when she didn't continue.

"Honestly, you don't look half bad when it's down," she laughed putting a hand to his cheek.

"Half bad, huh?" he said in a feigned hurt voice. He slowly pulled out of her, rolling to the side and onto his back. Rox rolled to her side, throwing her arm across his torso, sliding a leg across his lower body, and laying her head on his chest. He looked down at the top of her head and sighed, "you're such a troublesome woman."

Rox laughed at that, turning onto her stomach so she could look at him. "Yeah well, if I wasn't, you probably wouldn't have fallen in love me," she said smugly.

He lifted a hand and stroked her hair, a smile playing on his lips. "And you'd probably be right."

The smile that adorned her face after those words was bright and seemed to light up the room. She leaned up to kiss him once more and when she pulled away, she said, "I love you too, Shikamaru."

* * *

The next morning, Cordi and Gaara were sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast in their pajamas when Rox and Shikamaru came down. Rox was wearing one of Shikamaru's black shirts and her hair was messy and rumpled. Shikamaru was wearing a pair of black sweat pants, his own hair messily tied back. Cordi smirked at them as they walked in, waggling her eyebrows at them a little.

"So, you had a late night guys?" Cordi asked, winking and giggling.

Rox blushed a deep shade of crimson and gave her sister a small sheepish smile. Shikamaru, on the other hand, smirked and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "yes, yes we did." Gaara snorted into his coffee and Cordi laughed heartily. Rox slapped her lightly on the arm as she and Shikamaru passed into the kitchen to grab some breakfast.

"Shut up, Cordi. Or I might just have to repeat what happened the last time we were here," Rox threatened good-naturedly.

"Yeah, we don't want that happening again. We lost a good wok that day," Gaara said quietly. Rox and Cordi laughed, but were quiet enough to hear what Shikamaru was saying.

"Not to mention the damage to library… and the floor… and the walls…" At that, they couldn't stay quiet anymore and outright guffawed. It was a wonder Rox got her food to the table safely and not splattered it all over the floor. And everyone at the table was lucky Cordi didn't have anything in her mouth, or it would have been sprayed _everywhere_.

After a few minutes of laughing, they all settled down and were able to eat breakfast calmly.

"So, when are you guys thinking of heading back?" Cordi asked. Rox sighed and looked at Shikamaru, who was frowning.

"Well, we were kind of hoping you guys would let us stay until after your wedding. We don't really want to go back and face the music just yet," Rox said. Shikamaru huffed quietly, hands clenching into fists.

"Face what music? And why did you guys have to come all the way here just to get married?" Cordi asked, eyeing her sister and new brother-in-law with confusion. Gaara had furrowed his brows at the question, as if he had been wondering about that as well.

This time, Rox didn't answer. Instead, she took Shikamaru's hand and squeezed as he sighed angrily and shut his eyes. When he opened them again, he glared slightly at the table before looking back up at Cordi and Gaara. "In Fire Country, it's the law that the approval of at least two family members is needed before two people can get married. My parents were the only ones that could give their approval in Konoha and Rox's only family she could ask in this world was you. So, when my mother refused to give her consent…"

"Wait a minute, she refused?" Cordi interrupted, eyes wide and mouth hanging open slightly. Rox's jaw clenching slightly didn't go unnoticed by either Gaara or Cordi, but Shikamaru had opened his mouth to continue.

"Yeah well…. My mother's a bit of a xenophobe and you already knew she didn't like Rox very much…" He answered quietly, squeezing Rox's hand. "Anyway, without her consent we couldn't have gotten married in Konoha legally so we packed our bags and were about to head out here, but Naruto and my father stopped us at the gate."

"You two were leaving Konoha without permission? You know that you would have become missing nin, right?" Cordi exclaimed.

Shikamaru gave her a slightly irritated look before he said dryly, "yes, we did know that."

"So, you two were willing to give up everything to be together?" Cordi asked.

Rox smiled and blushed a little. "Well…. We love each other," she said and shrugged a little helplessly.

Cordi turned to Gaara and smacked him lightly in the arm. "Why can't you do something romantic like that!" She teased, and laughed when his eyes widened.

"My proposal wasn't romantic enough for you?" he asked indignantly.

"We were fighting, Gaara. I'd hardly call it romantic," Cordi replied, making the sand user frown deeply. She smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek before turning back to Rox and Shikamaru. "So you guys want to stay until our wedding, then? I don't see how that will be a problem with us, but you should probably notify Naruto." Cordi's eyes gained a mischievous gleam. "Besides, I don't think you'd be able to have a proper honeymoon with Mrs. Nara breathing down your necks!"

Rox blushed a deeper shade of crimson than she had earlier and she shot her sister a warning glare. Shikamaru smiled at her, before turning his head back to Cordi and Gaara, "thanks guys."

* * *

Lynne sighed as she waited at the front gate of Konoha. The past two weeks have been a mixture of good and bad. Sasuke had returned to her after getting answers from Sherie, but now they were the talk of the town. Lynne was having problems tuning all the villagers out. It was kinda hard when everyone in the village was thinking practically the same damn thing. Now, all she wanted to do was go to Suna for Cordi's and Gaara's wedding, so she wouldn't have to keep hearing all the gossip.

_Not to mention see why Rox and Shikamaru have been gone so long on such a simple mission…._ Lynne thought.

_Yeah, Gryffin didn't say anything about why he was leaving so suddenly_, Saryu said as he touched down behind her.

Lynne turned to face him, eyebrows furrowed in thought. "When I asked Naruto about the mission they were assigned, it sounded like a mission suited for a squad of genin, not two jounin…."

Cherokee and Nessie landed beside Saryu, both looking a little confused at the conversation. "What are we talking about?" Nessie asked.

"Why Rox and Shikamaru have been gone so long," Saryu answered.

"Naruto said not to worry about them… but I'm so curious!" Lynne exclaimed, folding her arms in annoyance. She felt out of the loop, and nowadays… she was rarely out of the loop. How was it that Naruto could keep information away from her… Had he learned to block her too? Every time she tried to read him, all she could get was a mischievous and giddy feeling and that their mission was just to take his RSVP of the wedding invitation to Suna.

"Lynne!" Ronni exclaimed as she ran up to the gates with Kiba trailing just behind her, Fred following not far behind. She smiled at Lynne, "nice to see you out and about!"

Lynne rolled her eyes. "I didn't really want to be stared at all the time, so I stay at home."

Ronni waggled her eyebrows, "whose home, yours or Sasuke's?"

"Which ever works," Sasuke stated monotonously as he appeared in a poof of smoke behind Lynne.

Ronni and Fred exchanged meaningful looks, annoying Lynne a bit. "So the arranged marriage is when?" Fred smirked.

Lynne and Sasuke scowled at them. "Ha ha, shut up, losers," Sasuke growled, looking off into the woods.

When Fred and Ronni kept their expectant stares on them, Kiba joining, Lynne sighed and answered, "When the little Lima Beans decide to say hello to the world, and I will no longer have weight issues, then we will talk." She patted her stomach lightly, before placing her hand on her hip.

"Lima-what?" Sasuke frowned, eyeing Lynne strangely.

"Lima Beans – you know, because that's their size at the moment," Lynne stated plainly.

"No," Sasuke muttered, looking away from her.

Lynne scowled at him, becoming very indignant. "Why the hell not!"

"No Uchiha, especially no child of mine, will ever be called a Lima Bean," Sasuke replied, as if that were final.

"Well when you decide you'd like to help carry them around anytime in the next seven months, then you get to decide on nicknames," Lynne argued, turning away from him and crossing her arms angrily. Fred, Ronni, and Kiba guffawed loudly until Lynne shot a glare at them, shutting them up.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled out to the group cheerfully, Hinata following behind him, holding her baby bump tenderly. He looked at the group for a bit then asked, "Did we miss something?"

Lynne rounded on them and asked quickly, "Hinata, what do you call your baby? I've been calling mine Lima Beans, but _some people_ think I should call them something else." She motioned toward Sasuke, making it clear who she was talking about.

Hinata blushed and looked at her pregnant belly to avoid Lynne's sharp gaze. Naruto furrowed his eyebrows together, then stated plainly, "You mean, the Honorable Baby-Kage Bump?" shifting his eyes toward Hinata's belly.

"Yes!" Lynne laughed, then rounded on Sasuke. "SEE! I'm not the _only_ one who does it!" Sasuke's eyes just twitched at his old teammate.

"Well, to be honest, I'm the only one who calls it that," Naruto replied sheepishly, Hinata nervously nodding behind him.

"HA!" Sasuke barked to a scowling Lynne.

"STILL!" Lynne snapped, re-crossing her arms and turning away from the group.

A roar rang through the entrance followed by, "I'M HERE!" Aleera did a circle above the entrance and landed.

"Oh hey Aleera!" Nessie exclaimed, happy to see her fiery friend.

Saryu, however, seemed to frown slightly. "Hey, do you know why Gryffin never came back after the mission to Suna?"

Aleera's already crimson scales turned a shade redder. "Uh… I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not making him stay!" She claimed, not looking at anybody gathered there. Saryu and Cherokee's eyes narrowed. They both knew when Aleera was hedging. Aleera sighed, "all I know is that Rox and Shikamaru have been very busy. Gryffin's stayed out of their business the past few weeks, and he's stayed with me… I guess."

Naruto snorted. _I'd be surprised if they hadn't been busy._

Lynne whirled on the Hokage, eyes wide. "What the hell do you mean by that?" She exclaimed, having heard what he thought. Naruto just smiled bigger not answering her, in either speech or thought.

"Wait, what did he think?" Fred demanded. Lynne scowled at the Hokage before repeating what he thought. "No fair, you DO know something about why they've been gone so long!"

Naruto laughed uneasily, scratching the back of his head. "You know, if we don't head out now, then we'll get to Suna later than they expected! Besides, Bushy Brow and Sakura are already there waiting for us. It would be in poor taste to make them wait longer!" he exclaimed before grabbing Hinata's hand and brusquely walking over to Aleera, who held out her paw for them.

Lynne and Fred grumbled, before jumping onto their own dragons. Ronni, Kiba, and Sasuke followed them up, and soon they had taken off and where zooming their way to Konoha.

"What about Little Chaos Bringers?" Sasuke asked after a few minutes of flying.

Lynne donned a perplexed look as she turned around to look at him. "Little Chaos Bringers? Really? No, Lima Beans is a much better nick name."

"I hate it," Sasuke grumbled.

"Live with it," Lynne smirked.

* * *

Gaara, Cordi, Rox, Shikamaru, and Gryffin all stood at the gates to Suna with a crowd of villagers and ninja, all waiting for the party from Konoha to arrive. The other Kages stood off to side, most of them with sour faces. Apparently, they were still unhappy about the 'Legendary' situation. Temari and Kankuro stood behind Gryffin, holding Yukina. Shikamaru stood behind Rox with his arms wrapped around her. Gaara held Cordi's hand in his hand, sand floating around it languidly. Gryffin pawed at the ground, looking a little nervous.

"What's up, Gryffin?" Rox asked, looking over her shoulder at her purple dragon. "You're acting kind of weird."

Gryffin's head snapped to look at her in surprise. "What? Uh… nothing's wrong, at all," he stated, not making eye contact with anyone.

"I don't know Gryffin, you look a little nervous about something," Rox observed.

"You know, the past two weeks I haven't really heard from Aleera… What have you guys been up to?" Cordi asked, turning to look at Gryffin herself now.

"Nothing's been happening," Gryffin declared, but his scales had turned slightly pink. Cordi and Rox furrowed their eyebrows at the purple dragon. Gaara turned his head and frowned slightly, eyeing the dragon with confusion. When Shikamaru turned his head to observe the dragon he smirked.

"How have you and Aleera been getting along, well I hope?" Shikamaru asked with a knowing smirk. Gryffin's eyes widened and he fell back a few steps. His maw opened and he stammered, unable to find words to refute what Shikamaru claimed.

"Wait… is there something between you and Aleera?" Rox exclaimed, eyebrows rising.

Gryffin was saved from having to argue as there was a roaring from four dragons on the horizon, and they were approaching fast. The wind dragon almost sighed with relief, as Cordi, Gaara, Rox, and Shikamaru had turned to look at the horizon. He honestly didn't know how to answer Rox's question.

A few minutes later, four dragons landed in the sand and five ninja hopped down from their backs. Lynne and Hinata were helped down by the dragons they were riding. Cordi and Rox smiled at the new comers and waved. When Lynne spotted Rox standing there, with Shikamaru standing just behind her with his arms around her, her eyes popped out of her head.

She stomped up to the pair, eyes slightly angry, and pointing a finger. "Roxanne Turner, what the hell have you been doing that you can't come back to Konoha or send a message?" she demanded.

Rox blushed deeply and smiled sheepishly. "Uh, actually it's Roxanne Nara now," she replied. Lynne's eyes bugged out and her jaw dropped comically. Shikamaru chuckled at her response and squeezed his arms around Rox a little tighter.

"Wait, what did you say?" Fred exclaimed, running over to her best friend, followed by Ronni.

"Shikamaru and I got married," Rox answered. Fred had much the same reaction as Lynne, but Ronni squealed in delight and threw her arms around the newlyweds.

"I told you guys there was nothing to worry about!" Naruto laughed as he walked up to the group. He smiled at the pair and winked, "So, the mission was a success then?"

Shikamaru's cheeks turned just slightly pink as he smiled back at the Hokage, "yes, Lord Hokage, it was a success."

Naruto smiled at the couple before turning to Gaara and Cordi. "Hey, Gaara. It's been a while!" he exclaimed, shaking the Kazekage's hand with a big smile.

"We saw you two months ago, Naruto," Gaara answered, donning a perplexed look.

The smile on the blond's face grew bigger. "Yeah, it's been too long!"

"You know, I think all that Hokage paperwork has gone to your head, Naruto," Cordi laughed. Naruto just laughed in reply, and that was when Cordi and Rox looked behind him and saw Sasuke standing by Saryu, looking out of place. Cordi scowled at him, remembering what happened the day before she left for Suna. "What the hell is _he_ doing here?"

Naruto looked behind him and sighed before he turned back to Cordi and Rox. "Look… everything with him and Lynne has been… kind of sorted out."

"Yeah, we found out this chick named Sherie apparently transformed into me and proceeded to whore around the village, so Sasuke would break up with me and be with her," Lynne said and leaned in close to whisper to Cordi and Rox, "she even slept with Shino! Can you imagine _me_ sleeping with _Shino_? You guys know how much I hate bugs!" Rox shivered in disgust at the mental image. She hated bugs just about as much as Lynne did.

"FWED!" cried a little voice from behind the massive body that was Gryffin. A tiny little body came sprinting at the group after she passed the dragon, her father trying to keep up so he could catch her. Yukina was surprisingly fast for a toddler. She stayed well ahead of her father and ran straight at Fred, who knelt to the ground and held her hands out, a smile on her face.

"Hey there, Yukina! Did you miss me?" Fred asked, smiling down at the little girl.

"Yes she did," said an amused voice from above her. Fred looked up into the smiling face of Kankuro, eyes gleaming in happiness. "Ever since she heard you were coming, she's asked every minute 'when will Fred get here?'"

Fred laughed lightly and scooped the little girl up in her arms as she stood. "Is that true Yukina? Well, I missed you too!"

"Kankuro! Hey man!" Kiba exclaimed as he jogged up to the puppet user. Kankuro smiled at him, extending a hand for a greeting.

"Hey Kiba, I'd heard you'd gotten engaged but, I didn't get to tell you congratulations," Kankuro said. Kiba laughed and looked over at Ronni, who was still gushing over the new development of Rox's and Shikamaru's wedding. She caught his eye, smiled, and walked over to join them.

"Hey Kankuro!" Ronni greeted happily, hugging him.

The other three kage that stood off to the side now approached the Kazekage and the Hokage, each with a mixed expression. The Raikage stood tall and imposing as usual, a frown on his mouth. However, he smiled at the Hokage and thumped him on the back, laughing heartily when Naruto gave a surprised grunt. The Mizukage gave a sultry smile to the Hokage, which was obliviously ignored, much to the older woman's consternation. The Tsuchikage was frowning up at the others, as if all the youthfulness annoyed him. All three of those Kage gave wary glances to the five elementals that had all gathered there.

"All right everyone, let's get inside the village," Gaara called out at the party, sending a small smirk to the Konoha ninja before glancing at the other kage, "I'm sure our guests would like to set their bags down."

**AN:** I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter! Sorry it took forever to do. Please remember to review! It's hard to think that when I started writing this, I said I'd bee done in two years, and here we are, a month a way from the two years mark, and it's still got a good 10-15 chapters in it I think... I'm happy all of you have decided to stick with this so far!


	42. Part 2: Chapter 20

**AN: **Alright. Sorry it's been a month since my last update. I meant to get this up a lot sooner, but I just finished it last night. Yes, I wrote this chapter. My sister says she will write the next one completely, but I have my doubts. But she was supposed to be writing it, otherwise I would have had this posted two weeks ago if I knew she wasn't going to help with this chapter. Oh, well. Hind-sight is 20/20; Fore-sight, not so much. Also, this chapter is really long. It's a good 26 pages, so what I lacked in time I made up for in quantity. So, again sorry. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

To Xchica-de-musicaX, Yes, updates! Sorry it's been a while. And something big does happen, just not in this chapter. Next chapter. But it's not a bad happening (those are later), it's a good thing, and necessary for the big parts to begin to take place.

To Thomas Drovin, Your fanfictions are looking really good. And I thought I got things working out. Apparently my sis has other plans… grrrrrr. And things do begin to get difficult, but it might be a little while. Although, the Akatsuki's plan should be arising very soon.

To Shifuni, I'm glad you like this so much. And waiting patiently is always a good thing. Please, enjoy the new update.

To GrimSpeck18, Lima Beans do rule the world. And I'm glad you are showing some violence to Sasuke. Haha. He needs it. ;)

I also want to welcome these people who have favorited and are now watching this story: DeathmaskDivine, Anindofu, Kaze no Neko, and friskykittycat. Welcome to the family!

**Disclaimer: **Is this really necessary now? I clearly don't own about half the things in here.

**Chapter Twenty: Bachelor / Bachelorette**

The next morning, Cordi had all her bridesmaids meet her at the dress shop she, Rox and Temari had gone to for their solstice kimonos. Rox had arrived with Cordi, so they sat at the shop and waited for the others to arrive. Temari was supposed to escort Fred, Lynne, and Ronni to the shop. They only had to wait a few more minutes before Lynne busted through the doors.

"Rox!" she exclaimed, rushing up to the wind user, a big smile on her face. "Ok, so last night I was thinking and I finally came to terms with you being married to Shikamaru. And of course I'm happy for you, but I have questions!"

Rox stared blankly at her friend, but Fred and Cordi both donned very large mischievous smiles. "What did you want to know?" Rox asked, eyeing her friends and sister warily.

"Well," Lynne paused, smile becoming wider and more roguish, "how's the sex?"

Rox went beet red in response, eyes wide in surprise and voice absolutely not functioning. Temari chuckled at Rox but still looked appalled at Lynne's vulgarity. The spirit user wasn't fazed in the slightest by the looks that Temari sent her way, but continued to watch Rox, eyebrows waggling.

"Uh…" Rox stuttered, still beet red. "I…. I honestly don't know how to answer that question."

Lynne did _not_ like that answer and pouted at her best friend, "you can't tell me? Come on Rox! I'm not asking for details or anything. Besides, we're all women here and I'm sure I'm not the only one that wants to know!"

Fred, Cordi, and now Ronni all looked at Rox expectantly. Temari sighed. She'd never had a sister or any friend that was like one before Cordi, so she'd never been asked questions like this about any of her boyfriends.

"Seriously Rox, we've been friends for most of our lives and I've told you stuff about my boyfriends!" Fred needled. Rox muttered something along the lines of 'not like I ever asked…' but let out a large sigh.

"S-sex with Shikamaru is… really good," Rox stated, hoping that would be the end of the topic.

"I'll say," Temari muttered. All conversation stopped as the elementals eyed Gaara's sister. "What? We used to date!"

Everything was still really silent as Cordi mumbled, "Well that just made everything more awkward than it is."

Everyone was still staring at Temari awkwardly until Lynne shrugged and turned back toward Rox. "So it's good. How so? What do you guys do that makes it 'really good'?" Lynne pressed.

Rox frowned at Lynne, finally tearing her gaze from Temari, "I thought you weren't going to ask for details…." Lynne, of course wouldn't budge. The newlywed's face seemed to grow redder and she bit her lip to hide an embarrassed smile. "Well…. You guys know about my dirty thoughts about a certain one of his jutsus, right?" Cordi nodded immediately, but Ronni, Fred, Lynne, and especially Temari all donned confused faces. Eventually, Lynne picked up on the thought and laughed outright.

"Wait, wait… what jutsu?" Temari asked, curiosity ringing through her voice.

Rox couldn't answer, her voice leaving her once again, but Cordi answered, "the shadow strangle jutsu." Temari's eyes bugged out but Lynne giggled. Fred still looked confused. She hadn't watched the show as much as the others, so she probably had no idea what the shadow strangle jutsu even did. "Ok, I'll explain. Shikamaru traps his opponent in his shadow and then these shadow hands kind of crawl up the body and strangle the victim." Cordi said before she turned back to Rox expectantly.

Rox gulped, face still somehow growing redder. "Well… um…" she squeaked, "I kinda told him about my thoughts and….. we tried it." Lynne and Cordi guffawed, Rox adding her own quiet chuckles.

"Wait, so he strangles you while you guys – you know. You let him strangle you?" Ronni asked, her face contorted into a disgusted frown. "You sick masochist!"

"No! He doesn't hurt me!" Rox exclaimed, face paling as she tried the clear the air while Lynne and Cordi laughed so hard, tears streamed from their eyes. Ronni still looked horrified and Fred and Temari looked rather confused as well. "He… he just uses his shadow hands alongside his real hands," Rox stated, voice trailing off as her eyes gained a dreamy gleam. "It's like… he's everywhere all at once."

After the laughter settled down, Cordi said, "Alright we've got to get this dress fitting underway because Rox and I have to get to our dance lessons."

Fred looked at the sisters confused as she asked, "dance lessons?"

"Yeah, Gaara and I coerced Rox and Shikamaru into going with us to the dance lessons. You know, we don't want to go out on that dance floor for our first dance and look like complete idiots," Cordi replied as she stood and turned toward the attendant.

"And when she says coerced, she means when we said no, Gaara uncorked the gourd, and Cordi grabbed the wok," Rox stated, her playful glare aimed at her sister's head. Cordi just smiled and shrugged as she asked the attendant to gather the dresses she'd specified.

When she turned back around after the attendant left, she addressed Lynne. "So, do you want to elaborate on the whole 'Sherie' thing? I mean I've never heard of her before or why she thought transforming into you and sleeping around could be a good idea," Cordi asked. The spirit-user frowned as she thought about what had transpired a few weeks ago.

"Well, during the Solstice Festival in Konoha, I saw Sasuke making out with her. We fought of course, but once Sherie learned that I had been pregnant when Sasuke so 'graciously' left me, she ran off. Sasuke was a jerk and Naruto stepped in so no damage was done," Lynne answered.

Rox's eyebrows furrowed, "what do you mean by 'damage?' He wasn't getting violent was he?"

"Well, we both were, but – as I said – Naruto stopped it and ordered us to his office where he proceeded to tell Sasuke that the babies were genetically tested and all that. Then, Naruto ordered us to get married," Lynne answered.

"Sounds familiar…." Rox muttered.

"And you're going to tell us about why you and Shikamaru had to come here to get married when Lynne is done," Fred ordered. Rox sighed and nodded, expression sad.

Lynne frowned at her before she continued, "Anyway, Sasuke told me why he had broken up with me in the first place, you know, basically accusing me of being a cheating whore. That's nothing new anyway, you guys heard him that day too." Cordi's expression grew angry at the memory, but she didn't interrupt. "It turns out that Sherie had asked him on a date while we were dating, and he'd turned her down for a few reasons. First, he was dating me. Second, she had been one of his creepy fan girls when everyone was still at the academy. He told me she used to save used tissues of his and stuff!" Cordi, Rox, and Temari all made disgusted faces, but before any of them could ask how the hell Sasuke ended up dating a creep, Lynne said, "well he said she seemed to mellow out. So, she devised a plan to 'catch him,' so to speak. Like I said yesterday at the gates, she transformed into me and whored around the village. Now, when I say 'whored around,' I don't just mean she slept with a few guys, but with a _slew_ of them. Shino was one guy, but she also slept four bartenders, and somehow Sai and Neji – who are dating each other."

"Wait a minute, if Neji and Sai are dating each other, than how the hell did Sherie manage…?" Cordi asked, trailing off into confused silence.

"Well, Sherie said – when we went to go talk about all this – she got Shino to turn into them. Apparently, Sherie and Shino have a history. Shino's liked Sherie for most of their lives, and she used his affection for her to do her bidding," Lynne answered, frowning.

"Sounds like this girl is a dirty, desperate slut," Temari stated. Her scowl deepened as she said, "I can't believe anyone could use a friend like that."

"I'm still surprised by how Sasuke fell for that shit," Fred muttered.

Lynne smiled at Fred and replied, "Yeah, he's still beating himself up about that, too."

"I'm just confused that Sasuke could have so many fans… I mean he can be a real jerk," Cordi stated.

Lynne frowned at her friend disapprovingly. "He can also be a real nice guy when he wants to be," she argued.

"Yeah, he's been really protective of Lynne that last few weeks. Anyone so much as looks at her wrong and he punches them in the face. It doesn't stop them from talking though. The rumor mill in Konoha is almost as bad as it was in high school," Ronni stated brightly, in complete contrast to how Lynne felt, who was scowling deeply.

"Now I'm really nervous about going back to Konoha. I _hate_ being talked about…" Rox sighed, slumping slightly.

"Why do you think you'll be talked about?" Lynne asked, head snapping up to look at her friend.

"Right, it's my turn for story telling isn't it?" Rox asked, smiling slightly. Ronni nodded emphatically, smiling broadly. "Alright, well the short version is that Mrs. Nara doesn't like me and made that pretty clear the night Shikamaru and I told her we were engaged. It was pretty obvious that she'd never give her permission for Shikamaru and I to marry. So, I went back to my apartment that night thinking our engagement was over, when Shikamaru knocked on my door and said that he wanted to elope."

"Woah! Hang on a minute, _Shikamaru Nara_, the _laziest_ ninja in Konoha, was willing to do something that troublesome?" Temari gasped, eyes alight with surprise. When Rox nodded to her, Temari whistled, "Wow."

"That's so romantic, Rox! You both were willing to give up everything to be together! It's just like out of one my old romance novels!" Ronni gushed.

"And what exactly did Yoshino say that made it clear she didn't like you?" Lynne asked, expression serious and completely ignoring what Ronni was saying. "Cuz, I'm perfectly willing to punch her in the face."

"From what Shikamaru said the morning after you two got married, he wasn't willing to talk to her," Cordi added, eyeing her sister.

"What she said was that bad?" Fred asked, her eyebrows raised in surprised.

"Yoshino was never very nice to me either. Called me some pretty nasty names," Temari said, folding her arms across her body angrily at the memory.

"She probably called me the same names and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I never wanted to come between Shikamaru and his family, so… I guess I'm willing to forget what she said about me in the hopes that her relationship with Shikamaru won't be ruined. I shudder to think about the scene that will most definitely happen when we all come back to Konoha, though," Rox said sadly.

"Well if she calls you any names while in my company, she's in for a pounding," Lynne replied. When Rox opened her mouth to protest, the spirit user shook her head, blue eyes flashing, "You were there for me when I needed you Rox. Now, I'll return the favor. Everything she probably said about you was definitely untrue anyway, and I won't stand for one of my best friends being insulted."

At that, the attendant returned and ushered everyone into changing rooms, handing dresses to the bridesmaids. All of them were floor-length, light blue, and made of a light, breezy material, but each of them had a different look.

Rox was the first out. The dress she wore was strapless and hugged her body all the way down to her upper thighs, where it flared out. It had a sweetheart neckline and the fabric wrapped around the bodice, criss-crossing at an angle. The back of the bodice started at her mid back and was laced shut – like a corset – and open. The ribbons were tied at the bottom of her back and trailed down the dress.

The next out was Temari. Her dress was also strapless and relatively simple. The neckline was strait. Just under her bust a darker strip of blue fabric was tied and from that piece, the dress flowed freely to the floor. There was a small train on the back that started just under the tied fabric.

Lynne exited her dressing room next. Her dress was a v-neck with thin spaghetti straps. A thick piece of fabric was wrapped just under the bust and from there the dress flowed to the floor. The back of the dress dipped down to her mid back. The seam at the back was fixed together with buttons.

Fourth out of her dressing room was Fred, wearing a one-shoulder dress. It followed her curves until her hips and then a-lined to the floor. The fabric at the top of the dress was twisted into the strap on her right shoulder. The back of the dress was slightly higher and was also fasted with buttons.

Ronni danced out of her dressing room last, twirling slightly when she reached the mirror. Her dress was the simplest out of all the dresses. It was strapless with a high waist-line that was situated just under her bust and flowed freely to floor. The fabric was gathered in the back and created a train, similar to Temari's dress.

"Wow, guys! You look awesome!" Cordi exclaimed. Ronni beamed at her friend and twirled again. The dress fit her like a glove.

"Um… I'm gonna need mine hemmed… like a lot," Rox said. She was the shortest of all the women, only reaching 5'2". The dress definitely needed four inches cut off. "Other than that, I look awesome!"

"Not as awesome as me!" Lynne laughed, lifting up the pieces of dress at her side and curtsied. Rox stuck her tongue out at her friend.

"Mine has to be taken in at the waist a bit," Fred observed, pulling the fabric at her waist closer to her body. The attendant moved to pull the dress in after she fixed the hem on the Rox's dress with pins.

"So, everybody likes their dresses?" Cordi asked, and all five bridesmaids nodded to her. "Right then, let's get these beauties bought and fixed. They'll be ready by tomorrow, right?" Cordi inquired, turning to the attendant who nodded an affirmative. The fire-user smiled and turned back to her friends, "great, well we finished just in time for our dance lesson, Rox!"

"Oh! Before everyone leaves, I wanted to make sure everyone knows about the bachelorette party. It will be at a bar near the center of town called The Sunaarashi. It's a pretty popular dance club around here. Meet at the Kazekage house at nine tonight," Temari smiled.

Lynne groaned and Temari looked at her questioningly. "I can't drink anything!" Fred and Temari laughed at the bummed spirit user before walking back to their dressing rooms to change, Ronni dancing into hers a few seconds later.

Rox smiled at Lynne sympathetically, "We can be sober together. You know I don't like to drink too much." Lynne frowned at her friend, knowing she wasn't going to have nearly as much fun as she would have if she could drink. She shrugged after a few seconds and the two went back to their changing rooms.

Five minutes later, everyone was out and the dresses were paid for.

"Remember, we need to be at Suna's Great Hall by 4:30 for the rehearsal! Dinner's at six! Alright guys, Rox and I have to split! See you later!" Cordi said and grabbed her sister by the hand before yanking her out the door.

* * *

Meanwhile, a similar gathering was happening at another clothes boutique, this time for Gaara and his groomsmen. Shikamaru and Kankuro were there already, so they were waiting for Naruto and Lee – who had arrived a day before everyone else from Konoha. They didn't have to wait too long, as Naruto and Lee showed up a few minutes after Kankuro had.

"Shikamaru!" Lee exclaimed as he busted through the doors and enveloped the shadow-nin in a hug. "I am sorry I never came by to see you and Roxanne. Sakura and I have been a little busy figuring out housing everyone. Anyway, congratulations on getting married!"

"Uh… thanks Lee," Shikamaru replied.

"I'm just glad everything worked out," Naruto said, clapping a hand on the Nara's shoulder when Lee released him. "Now I just have to make sure Sasuke and Lynne get hitched."

"Did they work everything out?" Shikamaru asked, surprised, as the tailor brought in the tuxedos for the groomsmen. He hadn't really believed it yesterday, when everyone was there. Sasuke still looked incredibly out of place.

"Yeah, when we left, they weren't getting along too well from what I hear," Kankuro added. "Thanks," he muttered to the tailor as the first tux was handed to him. Next given was Shikamaru, then Naruto, and lastly was Lee.

"Well, ever since I commanded them to get married, they've been straightening out their problems. I really think it will be a good marriage," Naruto replied as he opened the tux's bag, then his smile grew large. "I just had a thought."

"Uh oh…" Gaara muttered, causing Kankuro to chuckle and Shikamaru to smile slightly as they took their tuxes into the dressing rooms.

Naruto glared playfully at the Kazekage before taking his dressing room and continuing, "That prophesy Lady Tsunade read to all of us before the girls left… looks like Kankuro was right."

It was silent for a bit as everyone pondered this, until Gaara muttered, "For once." Kankuro ripped back the curtain of his dressing room, and shot a glare at his younger brother as he tucked his tuxedo shirt into his black pants, to which Gaara added, "That was a joke – kind of." Kankuro didn't remove his glare as he reached back into his dressing room and grabbing his black vest and black tux jacket.

"But, we all know what that means then," Naruto smirked, coming out of his dressing room with his vest and jacket unbuttoned and his bowtie hanging about his neck, and clapped a hand on Kankuro's shoulder.

Kankuro turned a confused stare onto Naruto, whose smirk had turned into a cheeky grin. Shikamaru and Lee then came out, completely finished except for Shikamaru's bowtie. He kept trying to tie it, but was clearly having some difficulties. "Troublesome tie!" he huffed, deciding to leave it hanging around his neck undone.

"What?" Kankuro snapped at the blonde Hokage, getting tired of his creepy smile.

"So, when are you and Fred planning on tying the knot?" Naruto inquired, a naughty smirk playing on his face.

Kankuro's eyebrows shot up almost into his hairline. "Excuse me?"

"Come on, Kankuro. '_Fire must melt Sand_.' Cordi and Gaara are getting married tomorrow," Naruto counted off, showing one finger. "'_Water must capture Beast.'_ Ronni and Kiba are engaged. '_Wind must intrigue Shadow_.'" Naruto pointed to Shikamaru and stated, "Rox and Shikamaru are married now. '_Spirit must heal Sight_.' Lynne and Sasuke are engaged. The last one is '_Earth must vex Manipulation_.'" He paused for effect. "That's you and Fred."

"Except we already stated I couldn't be Manipulation," Kankuro stated, shaking his head and stepping away from Naruto.

"That was when you were married though," Gaara stated, catching onto what Naruto was saying. He was thinking a lot about the prophecy now too, since Naruto brought it up. When it was put the way Naruto put it, everything about the prophecy was making sense now, except for how them getting married would stop an apocalypse.

"Thanks Gaara," Naruto smiled, then turned back to Kankuro.

"Look, I haven't even thought about it yet, alright? It's all very complicated and confusing right now," Kankuro sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Would you say it's _vexing_?" Naruto prodded, the smile on his face growing larger.

Kankuro shot him an annoyed glare and muttered, "Kage or not, I will punch you – _hard_." Naruto backed off, putting his hands up, as if to say he surrendered. "Honestly, I'd rather not get pressure from the peanut gallery about this, alright? Yukina and I have just started learning how cope with everything by ourselves. I'm just not sure bringing in Fred is the right thing to do at the moment."

"It actually might be the best moment," Shikamaru stated. "We don't know when this apocalypse is going to happen. So, the sooner the better." Kankuro frowned at the Nara, mentally cursing his logic.

"Also, the younger a child is, the less likely they will see a new family member as an intruder," Lee stated, as if very knowledgeable on the subject.

"Do I at least get to think about it?" Kankuro asked, eyes narrowed at the group around him.

"Do you love her?" Gaara asked, silencing the group.

Kankuro gave Gaara a tired look. "I don't know yet," he replied, biting his lower lip.

"Well, that sounds familiar," Naruto muttered, winking at Gaara, who just pursed his lips. Naruto sighed, then said, "Look, if you're having an issue with the long distance part of the relationship, I'm sure Gaara and I can work something out diplomatically for you guys. Right Gaara?" Gaara just nodded.

"Just wait," Kankuro grumbled. "Let's see how this weekend turns out for us, and then we'll talk about it. But until then, no mention of the prophecy, alright?"

Everyone agreed, Naruto a bit begrudgingly, until he turned to Gaara excitedly and asked, "Do we get those shiny shoes too?"

Lee smiled and excitedly added, "I, too, like the idea of wearing these suits. They fit perfectly."

Gaara laughed, putting a hand to his forehead. Shikamaru gave Lee a strange look, then asked, "Haven't you had to wear one of these suits before?"

Lee gave him an innocent look and replied, "No?"

Naruto then strutted to the mirror behind Gaara and laughed, "I look awesome. Believe it!"

"I will believe that I look better," Kankuro strutted up next to the Hokage, hands still in his pockets.

"Nope, impossible," Naruto smiled. "I just need the pants hemmed a bit."

Kankuro smirked at the blonde, and replied, "Well, mine has already been tailored." He then turned to the rest of the group as Naruto pouted sourly back at him, and Kankuro announced, "Tonight, the fun starts at nine!"

"Wait, what starts?" Gaara asked, standing up and eyeing his brother with his arms crossed.

"Oh you know, the party. Make sure you aren't busy tonight," Kankuro smiled mischievously.

"What kind of party?" Gaara growled, growing somewhat impatient.

"A party," Kankuro smiled.

"Oh! Did you hire the strippers?" Naruto inquired, pointing at Lee, who nodded his head.

"Strippers?" Gaara growled. "You're throwing me a bachelor party?" Kankuro smiled. "Even when I expressly stated I didn't want one?"

"And we agreed you didn't know what you'd be missing out on," Naruto laughed, putting an arm over Gaara's shoulders. "Friends don't let friends get married without celebrating their final night being single."

"And don't worry. I made sure the stripper is a classy one," Lee smiled with a wink and a thumbs up.

Gaara eyed his bowl-cut-haired friend strangely, wanting but refraining to ask, "There are such things as classy strippers?"

"Look, it's just going to be the five of us, while the girls are out giving Cordi her bachelorette party," Kankuro sighed, hoping that would convince Gaara that the party was an okay idea. "I promise, nothing will get out of hand, just drinking and strippers."

Gaara scowled at him then muttered sarcastically, "You make it sound _so_ virtuous." Kankuro frowned at him, eyeing him skeptically. Gaara frowned then said, "Fine. Have the party."

Kankuro and Naruto gave the Kazekage big smiles, exclaiming things like, 'you won't regret it!' or 'don't worry you'll have a blast!' Gaara waved them off, grumbling irritably. "Whatever, just make sure the tuxes fit. Shikamaru and I have to meet Cordi and Rox for our dance lessons."

Naruto's eyebrows rose as he gazed at the two. "_Dance_ lessons?"

"Yes, Naruto. It's common place for a couple to go to dance lessons before their wedding," Gaara said.

"Yeah, I know that!" Naruto replied, turning a surprised gaze at Shikamaru. "Why would _you_ need to go, Shikamaru?"

The shadow-nin sighed, agitatedly. "Rox and I wouldn't be going if we weren't _convinced_ that we needed to go." At that, he sent an annoyed pointed glare to Gaara, who flashed a small smile. Kankuro laughed while Lee and Naruto kept looking at the Nara confused.

"Shikamaru, we really should be going," Gaara stated, nodding toward the entrance. Shikamaru nodded, going back into his dressing room. "Remember, the rehearsal dinner starts at six. But the rehearsal is at 4:30 at the Great Hall." Shikamaru then came out, tugging on his shirt so it was comfortable. "Are you ready?"

Shikamaru nodded, grabbing his tuxedo. "Just need to pay for the alterations." Gaara nodded and waited for Shikamaru as he got that situated, then they left for their dance lessons.

* * *

Gaara and Cordi sat at the main table, hands clasped together as they watched the line of people slowly go through, giving their toasts. They smiled at each other, as the first person came up, Temari. She held the microphone up gingerly, starting her toast. "I want to thank everyone for joining us in celebrating Gaara's and Cordi's soon to be wedding. Gaara, as your older sister, I've seen you grow to become the man you are today, and I couldn't be more proud to be your sister. Cordi, ever since we met, we have been great friends to each other. You have helped not only me, but Kankuro and Gaara too, in the past couple years. Before you both get married tomorrow, I must ask each of you a favor. Gaara, you have found an amazing woman to ally yourself with for the rest of your life. Please treat her as such. And Cordi, please take care of my little brother. He will need it. And lastly, may your love for each other shine through all the days you have of your lives. To Gaara and Cordi!" With that, everyone took a sip of their drink. Cordi smiled at Gaara, planting a small kiss on his cheek. He caught her chin gently with his finger, guiding her lips back to his for a small tender kiss. As they pulled away, Gaara kept his eyes trained on hers, a small smile playing on his lips.

"If you insist on kissing after every toast, we will be at this all night," they heard Naruto chuckle. Gaara smirked and turned to his best friend, as Cordi bit her lip and also turned. "Well, here is my toast. It seems like only yesterday the five of you showed up at the gates of Konoha in your strange box contraption. It was that same day that the decision was made that Cordi would become a Sand Ninja, staying with the Kazekage himself. It may have looked like nothing at the start, but after awhile, it was clear to anyone who knew either of you that there was definitely chemistry between you two. Even the two years you spent apart didn't change that. And here we are today, laughing, drinking booze, and celebrating your relationship. So, here's to the happy couple." With that, everyone took a sip of their drink again.

Next was Ronni's turn, who took the microphone from the Hokage as he finished his drink. Her expression seemed bittersweet as she smiled into the microphone. "Cordi Turner. You and I have been best friends for the past thirteen years. Do you remember when we met? For any of you who haven't heard the story, we rode the same bus home from school. It was my first year, and I didn't feel inclined to meet anyone. Cordi had been going to the school for several years, and was getting tired of trying to make friends without success. I only knew this, because as soon as she got on the bus, she got very upset that Rox was sitting next to my sister instead of saving a seat for her. That was when my sister jumped up, and much to my dismay, told Cordi to sit next to me, because I didn't have a friend who rode the bus. The first couple moments of our introduction were a bit tense, because you were crying and I didn't want any friends. Then she stopped sobbing and introduced herself. I told her my name, but refused to talk anymore. But right before the bus started moving, she looked at my notebook where I was doodling, and said, 'Your drawing's really nice.' I don't know what part of that comment did it, but right after that, we began talking as if we hadn't just met a few minutes before, but that we had known each other for practically a lifetime. And since then, we've been through so much together. Tom, the boy we both liked until he gave us both Valentines gifts. In-school suspension together after being late to class when a teacher decided to lecture us about running through the library as a short-cut to our next class. When we got tired of trying to find tables to sit at for lunch when all of the other groups went silent when we walked by, so instead we ate in lunch detention, even though we hadn't done anything wrong to be sent there. Long spend the night parties, mainly consisting of black lights, card games, and Sunkist. I defended you against all the girls who treated you poorly, and you defended me against all the guys who broke my heart. I found more than just a friend in you, I found a sister." A tear fell down her cheek as a smile began to grow.

"Gaara, I don't think you know how great a deal in life you got marrying a girl like Cordi, tomorrow. Cordi, I don't think any of us could let you marry someone less worthy of you than Gaara. I know I definitely couldn't." She sniffled, and brought a hand up to wipe away a tear from her eye. Gaara looked over, seeing Cordi smiling, but letting small tears fall down her cheeks too. "So, here's to you two. May you two experience life to the fullest, and love every minute of it." With that everyone again took a sip, except Cordi, who got up and walked over to Ronni, embracing her in a huge hug. Both of the girls cried as they gripped each other harder. Rox, Fred, and Lynne, who were also crying, joined in the hug.

"I was going to say something similar in my toast," Lynne smiled as a tear fell down her cheek. The girls pulled apart, laughing and drying their eyes gingerly so as not to ruin their make-up.

They looked around to see most of the girls in the room were also tearing up. Temari was fanning her eyes to keep her tears from falling. Sakura was gently brushing a tear away from her eye. And lastly, Hinata just let her tears fall, catching them on her cheek, while Naruto was also wiping his eye, saying "I've got something in my eye." Yukina turned to her father and asked, "Why is evwyone cwying?"

Kankuro just smiled and whispered, "They're happy."

"But people who happy don't cwy," Yukina replied, still confused.

"Sometimes they do," Kankuro smiled, kissing her on the head. "Eat your peas." Yukina frowned, but then happily turned back to her peas, picking one off her plate and quickly putting it into her mouth, singing to herself a little.

It wasn't long before everyone had finished their dinner and it was time for the parties to get underway. Sakura was watching Yukina for the night, so she took Yukina as she began to fall asleep. Kankuro was just grateful that she'd be asleep while Sakura would watch her, but his mind quickly went to other things. He walked up to his little brother and smiled, "Are you ready for this?"

"For what?" Gaara asked in a slightly tired voice.

That was when Naruto ran up and somewhat whispered, "You know strippers and more booze."

That made Cordi look up, finally making the others take notice that she was still sitting at the table. "Strippers?" she asked in a voice Gaara thought dangerous.

He turned to her, a slightly nervous smile on his face. "It wasn't my idea," he stated, eyeing her warily.

A smug smile crept to her face. "Duh. Gaara, I know you better than you think I do, apparently. I was actually thinking it was either Naruto's or Kankuro's idea." She turned a mock scolding glare at Naruto and Kankuro and shook a patronizing finger at them. "Shame on you two. Naruto you are married. You both should know better."

Guilt was all over both of their faces as Gaara smirked at them. "Not so great an idea, now is it?" he asked Kankuro.

Kankuro was about to reply in his and Naruto's defense, until Cordi smiled and stated, "Oh, no. I was just kidding. I'm sure you guys will have a marvelous time." With that she got up, Naruto, Kankuro, and Gaara gaping at her. Both Naruto's and Kankuro's expressions turned slowly into devilish smiles, while Gaara's remained shocked.

"Y-you're okay with another woman …." Gaara couldn't finish that sentence, the shock of it becoming too much.

Cordi smiled as she leant over him, touching her forehead to his and giving him a perfect view of her large cleavage. "No matter who you guys pay for entertainment tonight, as long as it doesn't become a habit, I don't care. It's a rite of passage that I expect to happen." She leaned in and gave him a short, but passionate kiss on the mouth, then whispered in his ear, "Just remember tomorrow, anything you do with that stripper tonight, I expect payment for it on our wedding night." A small blush rushed to his face. Even though both Kankuro and Naruto knew he wasn't a virgin, he was still uncomfortable talking about sex out in public like that. He shook those feelings aside and eyed his fiancé, a smile gracing his face as he nodded his agreement to her conditions. "Come on girls!" she nearly yelled, charging out of the rehearsal dinner.

* * *

The girls had left for the bachelorette party a while ago. Temari was hauling a bag that looked like it was stuffed full of phallic shaped things, wigs, colorful feathers, and many other things. Meanwhile the guys stayed at the Kazekage manor, raiding the liquor cabinet and eating cheap take out. Because Naruto explained what happened when Lee met alcohol's influence to the group, all the guys except Lee were pretty well tipsy when the doorbell rang at 12:30 at night.

Kankuro nimbly jumped out of his chair, and chuckled as he walked to the front door. He swung it open to a blonde young woman no older than twenty-three dressed in what seemed to be just a fur coat. "Why, Miss Cocoa Diamond, please come in," Kankuro smirked, waving her in and showing her to the living room area where the party was taking place.

As she stepped into the room, looking around unimpressed, she muttered, "You are familiar with my main rule with ninja's, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Kankuro muttered as she turned around, setting a small sound system up, "Gaara, no jutsu allowed on Miss Diamond unless you want to pay double."

Gaara scowled at the implication of that statement. "I'm paying for a stripper I don't even want?"

"No," Naruto replied. He motioned to the rest of the group adding, "We are paying for Miss Diamond unless you use a jutsu on her, in which you pay double."

Gaara's lips pressed into a thin line thinking about their deal, as Naruto ran around him and grabbed a small wooden chair off to the side, bringing it into the center of the room. Kankuro and Lee began to push Gaara toward the chair and smiling Naruto. Gaara was about to protest, then realized that resistance was futile, and allowed his brother and friend to guide him back to into the chair. Shikamaru stood off to the side smirking at the other guys as Naruto, Kankuro, and Lee held onto Gaara's shoulders to keep him in place.

Pounding music began to play as Miss Cocoa Diamond turned and stood in front of Gaara, holding a fierce, but smoldering gaze with him as she dropped her faux-fur coat, revealing her seven-inch platform high-heels that had leather strings wrapping their way up to her mid-thigh, her shiny blue mini skirt that barely covered her butt and g-string, and her hot pink feather boa, that was strategically placed over her large breasts. And her body was covered in glitter making her sparkle in the cheap lighting.

Gaara's eyes were wider than he had ever felt them before. He could hear Kankuro whistle in his ear and Naruto chuckle behind him. Lee just remained silent for once.

She took a slow, sensual step forward, one hand traveling up in her hair and her other starting at her cleavage and slowly trailed down to her crotch. She plunged to fingers into the front of the waistband of her skirt and slowly pulled out a blue silk scarf, pulling it up between her breast as her other hand began to trail down, guiding the scarf and keeping it tight. She strutted up to him, licking her lips as she said, "Boys," in a sensually low voice. Kankuro, Naruto and Lee cleared away as she put a commanding hand on Gaara's shoulder, walking around him, wrapping the blue silk scarf around his neck, making it slither around him before dropping down behind him, tying his hands behind him.

Gaara shot a confused look at her then at his brother and friends. Kankuro was biting his lip as if to contain his laughter while Naruto and Lee were grinning like it was a Christmas. Shikamaru just smirked at his soon to be brother in law.

Miss Daimond gently trailed a finger along Gaara's shoulders, tapping her fingers on his right shoulder as she rolled her hips. She took a few steps in front of him, bringing both of her hands up into her hair, rolling her hips again, just before dropping into perfect split. She bent her knees and pushed herself into a kneeling position just before crawling toward Gaara, still holding her fierce gaze. As soon as she was close enough, she placed her hands on his knees, spreading them just enough so she could whip her head gently around near his crotch. She brought her hands up, pulling herself up so she was face to face with him as she began to straddle him. She grabbed her feathered boa and placed it around his neck, leaning toward his ear, whispering, "I'm your biggest fan, Lord Kazekage."

He shot another confused look at her just before fixing his glare onto his brother, who just began to laugh as Miss Daimond continued her ministrations, only able to completely glare at him every other hip roll she did as she continued to stand straddled over him.

Miss Daimond lifted Gaara's face to look at her as she leaned down and kissed his cheek – with tongue. He was thoroughly disgusted, but didn't want to give his brother and friends the satisfaction of noticing that. The music stopped as she pulled away and gently walked around him, untying Gaara.

She then walked over to the other men, giving them all a full view of her sparkling pasties. "That's five hundred," she stated plainly.

Kankuro smirked, pulling the cash out of his pocket and handing it to the stripper. She counted it, making sure it was all there. She nodded and walked over to pack up her stuff. As soon as she finished with that, she picked up her faux-fur coat and swung it over her shoulder, and strutted out of the living room, sighing sensually, "Bye bye boys."

It was then the front door opened and all the men could hear Cordi and her bridesmaids singing out of tune at the top of their lungs, "NEVA GONNA GIVE YOU UP! NEVA GONNA LET YOU DOWN! NEVA GONNA TURN AROUND AND DESSERT YOU! NEVA GONNA MAKE YOU CRY! NEVA GONNA SAY GOODBYE! NEVA GONNA TELL A LIE-IE-IE AND HURT YOU!" And as Miss Cocoa Daimond walked into the foyer, the guys heard Cordi gasp in a loud voice, "OH! Wow, it'ssss the Stripper! HI STRIPPER!" The clacking of Miss Daimond's heels became louder until the slam of the front door to which Cordi yelled, "BYE STRIPPER!" before muttering to her the bridesmaids, "She wasssn't a nicsssse stripper."

Giggles erupted in the entryway as the girls walked through until Cordi looked into the living room seeing Gaara standing there. "GAARA!" she squealed running in and launching onto him into a hug, her hot pink wig brushing roughly against his neck. "My looove! – Why is there glitter on your face?"

It was then Temari walked in, wearing a red wig and a black feathered boa. "You do look like you just finished sparring with father," Temari laughed. "I remember sometimes you would come home and be covered in his gold dust from fighting. Oh, and what's this?" she asked, thumbing his cheek.

Gaara lifted the back of his hand to his cheek, effectively knocking away Temari's hand, and rubbed it, then looked at the back of his hand. Miss Daimond had smeared her lipstick when she made out with his cheek. "Perfect," he muttered, shooting a glare at Kankuro, who was still guffawing with Naruto. Gaara turned away from his brother and looked to his fiancé. "Did you have fun?"

"Yes! We had a terribly awfully good time," Ronni slurred, leaning on Rox and Fred, who was leaning against her. Ronni had a neon blue wig with a matching boa, while Fred had green, and Rox had purple. Ronni rolled her head over to look at her sister and asked, "Fred, what was that guy's name? He was very sweet, and I think he was into you." Neither Ronni nor Fred noticed Kankuro stop laughing and bristling up at her information, while Fred just looked confused at Ronni.

Temari bristled at that too, knowing Kankuro's feelings for Fred. "Was someone hitting on you at the bar?" Temari asked, hoping it wasn't so.

Fred's wide eyes traveled over to Temari before she shut them and shook her head. "It was the bartender!" Fred sighed exasperatedly. "It's his job to hit on pretty women! That's how he sells drinks!"

Ronni paused, suppressing a hiccup, before replying, "Oh right…"

Gaara and Temari looked to their brother only to notice that Kankuro was a little less tense knowing it was the bartender, but was still really unsettled by it. Gaara sighed and turned to Cordi. "I think it's time we were off to bed," Gaara breathed.

"NOOOOOO!" Cordi gasped, shaking her head crazily, "I can't sleep with you tonight!"

Gaara furrowed his brow at his fiancé. "Why not?"

"Because it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," Rox answered. She was the only one who was completely sober other than Lynne, for obvious reasons. And for some reason Lynne had a silver wig on and a hot pink feathered boa wrapped around her neck, along with a long glass hanging from her neck that contained what looked to be orange juice that she was sipping through a straw.

"Yesssss," Cordi muttered, shaking her finger at Gaara, "Issss bad mojo. Bad bad bad bad mojo. Bad mojo." She then giggled and muttered again, more to herself, "Bad mojo." She licked her lips before adding, "We just came because I need to grab somethings, and Rox was about to turn into a pumpkin."

"PUUUUUUUUMPKIIIIIIN!" Ronni and Fred yelled together, pointing fingers at Rox. The men shot a confused look at each other before looking at Temari who shrugged.

"Cinderella," Lynne stated, pausing from her orange juice. "Her carriage was going to trap her in a pumpkin if she didn't leave a ball by midnight." The native ninja's still looked confused, and she just shook her head, going back to her drink.

Temari frowned and leaned towards Cordi, reminding, "Cordi, we should get going."

"Yessss," Cordi muttered with a heavy nod. She looked up and gave Gaara a sloppy kiss before uttering as Temari dragged her away, "I see you tomorrow. Don't forget. I loooove you!"

"I love you too," Gaara sighed with a frown. He looked down at his clothes and realized just how much glitter Miss Daimond had covered him in.

**AN:** I hoped you liked it! Sorry for the Rick-roll, kind of. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I had fun writing it, and the next chapter is going to be even more fun! Hopefully that one will be up sooner than it took for this one. Anyway, please review!


	43. Part 2: Chapter 21

**AN:** Whooo, sorry this took way too freaking long to write. That and I started taking my creative writing courses here at college, and I can tell you, they can be a real ball-buster in the writing department. Now, I did have my sister ghost writing for a bit, but when that wasn't working (because she ended up getting busy with art), I took it back. But I'm really sorry for the delay. I know, it's been almost a year since I updated, and that's not cool at all. And I know you guys kind of hate me for it (don't lie). Anyway, this chapter is extra long just for that (nearly 30 pages). And it's filled with light hearted humor, and some serious stuff towards the end. And I know, it might seem that I've kind of diverted from the plot, but trust me, I haven't. Part 2 is just really long, and sorry about that. Anyway, onto reviews.

**To miss-classy-and-sexy:** That's what's good about this story. All the quirky relationships. And trust me, they are about to get better.

**To ThomasDrovin:** Thanks for understanding, and yes, my sister is very cool. Also, 1. Why wouldn't Cordi allow it? She's somewhat laid-back and understands who he's walking down the aisle with. And 2. No, Neji and Sai are straight up gay for each other. I'm pretty sure I'm not bringing Sherie back either. Her bit's done.

**To Sonictiger: **Well, thanks for not listening to the rat monkeys. And if they tell you to not give a good story a chance again, beat them off with a stick. ;) And make sure you have you full of chocolate milk, just don't spit any on your screen when you read some of the jokes.

**To GrimSpeck18:** I miss you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH! And where is my email? Just kidding. I know our lives have been incredibly crazy lately. Give me a call when you can, because it's just been exciting on my end with everything going on.

**To XXxliaaxXX:** My sister loved your review, because she's a bit of a narcissist, and Rox is mostly based on her. But she wanted to thank you. Also, I'm really glad you liked this story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as you've enjoyed the previous ones.

**To Tenshi-Ookami64: **All I can say is wow. It takes me more than a week to read all of Legendaries, which is kinda sad since I wrote it. The fact it took you to read all 550 some pages in 2 days, just wow. That must mean I've written something really good, because I can only devour writing like that if it's freaking amazing. _That_, or you're just a fast reader. But for my ego's sake, I'm going with the first one. And for that, thanks! I'm really happy you like it. I too get the moments re-reading this story going "WHY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAAAAAND!" But everything is in here for a reason (most of it is to add a little drama, but mostly conflict. And without those, it wouldn't be worth reading). I just hope this next chapter does the rest of the story justice. I know it will definitely have those scream at the screen moments that we love so much.

**To Hellfire Putten Ninja: **I couldn't have said it better myself.

Now I wanted to thank the people who just added this story to their favorites/alerts. This Girl's On Fire, Hellfire Putten Ninja, Hershey gurl, Moonlight Kyuubi, tristan9, Unknown Faith, nekoumori, Tenshi Ookami64, XXxliaaxXX, Sonictiger, and vohlm. Thanks for adding this to your faves, and welcome to the family!

**Chapter Twenty-One: Marriage and Family**

The next morning started bright and early… for some people. Rox rolled over in bed, stomach uneasy and face hot. Shikamaru had already gotten up and showered. She'd told him she didn't feel well and he'd let her sleep. Currently, he was in the bathroom, shaving. The smell from his after shave hit her nose and immediately she sprang from the bed to the toilet, upending the bile that had stirred in her queasy stomach.

Immediately, Shikamaru was beside her, holding her long brown hair away and rubbing soothing circles in her back. Rox was in a state of shock as she fell back against him, trembling. He leaned over and flushed the toilet for her, before turning to her and asking, "feel any better?"

"I… I threw up," Rox stated, eyes wide as she stared at the toilet. Shikamaru smiled faintly at her before rising and wetting a wash cloth in cool water and putting it against the back of her neck. He helped her stand so she could wash out her mouth at the sink. When she was done, she put her hands against the marble counter top and stared at her pale face in the mirror. "I never throw up…" she whispered, still in shock.

"Maybe… you're a little hungover?" Shikamaru offered.

"I didn't drink last night. I promised Lynne so she wouldn't be the only sober one…" she replied, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Shikamaru frowned at her, puzzled. "What about food poisoning?"

Rox sighed, putting her forehead to the cool glass of the mirror. "Wouldn't you be sick too? We ate the same thing last night right? And wouldn't I have gotten sick earlier?" She asked.

"Not necessarily. My food might have been prepared a little better than yours. Also, salmonella takes 12 hours to make you sick. If it is salmonella, then it's the right time," he replied. Rox groaned and pulled away a little from the mirror. She had a few tears running down her cheeks. Shikamaru immediately wrapped his arms around her, concern in his eyes. "You'll be alright, Rox. I'm sure by the time the wedding starts you'll be feeling better." Rox nodded, looking more miserable as the seconds ticked by. "Why don't you soak in a bath and I'll go downstairs and find you some ginger tea?" Shikamaru offered, putting a hand to her cheek and wiping tears away with his thumb. Rox nodded slightly and she turned to the bath tub.

Shikamaru made sure she was settled into her bath before leaving the bathroom and heading downstairs to the kitchen. Gaara was there, sipping a cup of coffee. He looked up and nodded at the shadow-user in greeting. Shikamaru nodded back, before entering the kitchen searching for ginger tea. Upon finding a package, Shikamaru filled a pot with water and put it on the stove to boil. Tiredly, he walked around the counter and sat on a barstool next to his soon-to-be brother-in-law.

Gaara noticed the packet of tea in the Nara's hand and looked at him questioningly. Shikamaru sighed, rubbing his free hand over his face as he said. "Rox was sick this morning. Ginger is the best thing for settling an upset stomach."

"Hangover? The girls were pretty drunk when they came in last night," Gaara inquired.

"She said she didn't drink last night. She didn't want to leave Lynne out," Shikamaru answered. "I think it might be food poisoning."

Gaara frowned, "I'd hate to think that. We had some of the best chefs in Suna cater our dinner last night."

Shikamaru sighed, "I don't know but something had to cause her to get sick. I've never actually seen her get sick before…" Gaara nodded in agreement and took another sip of coffee. The shadow-user eyed the redhead for a few seconds before asking, "you ready for tonight?"

Gaara was quiet for a moment before he turned to the Nara, a smile on his face. "I don't think I could be more ready." He was silent for another moment before he added quietly, "I'd do anything for Cordi."

Shikamaru smiled back. He understood exactly how the Kazekage felt.

* * *

"Ugh… I'll never drink again…." Cordi groaned as she rolled over in bed, palms of her hands pressed into her eyes. She had a splitting head ache and the world tilted slightly, causing her stomach to roll unpleasantly. She'd never drank as much as she had last night, and it was really biting her in the ass.

A knock at the door caused Cordi to groan again and respond with a miserable, "what?"

"It's Temari, open up!" She said through the door, sounding ungodly chipper.

"I don't want to see anyone!" Cordi growled. Nobody should be happy right now… not when she had such a headache.

"I have something you might want," Temari taunted. Cordi groaned again but managed to roll out of bed and stumble to the door. Upon yanking it open, she glared at the blond woman smiling down at her. However, she was holding a bottle that was full of some sort of potion that smelled absolutely revolting. She offered the bottle to the fire user, who looked at her as if she was insane. "It's a hangover remedy. Trust me, this will make you feel better."

Cordi eyed her suspiciously but took the bottle and upended the contents into her mouth. It tasted better than it smelled, but only slightly. She gagged a few times before managing to get all the liquid down. Shoving the bottle back into Temari's hand, she went into her bathroom to rinse the taste out of her mouth. Amazingly, the headache began to vanish within seconds of taking the concoction. She looked at Temari in surprise, who was smiling at her.

"I assume you feel better? Anyway, Ronni, Fred, and Lynne are downstairs, ready to start getting ready," Temari said before heading downstairs herself.

Ten minutes later, Cordi descended the stairs in jeans and a tank top. They'd be spending the day getting mani-pedis, their makeup done, and their hair styled. Ronni, Lynne and Fred were already there in the entryway. Fred currently had a scrunched, disgusted look on her face, as if she just swallowed something absolutely repulsive. Temari was standing by her, a glass in her hand.

"You ok Fred?" Cordi asked as she stepped onto the ground floor. Fred nodded and after a second she sighed.

"I just gave her the hangover remedy," Temari stated.

"Yeah that shit tastes awful!" Fred exclaimed, tongue sticking out and cringing again. "The headache is gone but the taste-! UGH!"

Cordi smiled and pointed to a door down the hall. "There's the bathroom, why don't you wash your mouth out? It'll be much better if you do, I promise." As Fred darted down the hallway, the fire user turned back to Lynne, Ronni, and Temari. "Do you guys know where Rox is?"

"She's not here yet?" Ronni asked, puzzled. Rox usually got up before any of them. Temari shook her head.

"Alright, well I guess we'll wait for her in the living room," Cordi sighed. They hadn't taken two steps before there was a knock at the door. Temari went to answer it and on the other side of the door, stood a pale and sickly looking Rox. Immediately Cordi was by her side, ushering her into the house, and to a seat. "Rox! Are you ok?"

Rox frowned at her sister as she said, "I threw up this morning…"

Stunned silence descended on the women gathered, eyes wide and mouths slightly opened. Except for Temari, who watched the five in puzzlement. "What's wrong with that?" she asked.

Cordi turned to her new sister and explained, "The last time Rox threw up… we hadn't met Fred and Ronni yet." She turned back to her sister and hugged her, muttering things like, 'it's ok,' and 'you'll be ok.'

"Wait… did I hear that right?" Fred asked, walking back into the foyer. She got a numb nod from Rox. "How did you react to that?" she inquired, as it was pretty common knowledge that Rox had a fear of vomit.

Rox's frown deepened, "I… was really surprised, and I cried…. But that's it."

"Huh, and I was expecting you to scream your head off and try to get away from yourself," Lynne remarked and smiles formed on the girls' faces.

"Why do you think you got sick?" Fred asked.

"Shikamaru said it could be food poisoning, and that really is the most logical answer," Rox replied.

"But, we had the best chefs in Suna cater last night and no one else is sick," Temari argued, perplexed expression on her face.

Ronni sighed and put her hand on Rox's shoulder, "well, do you feel any better now?"

Rox shrugged, "a little. The ginger tea Shikamaru gave me helped."

Cordi had not said a word once Shikamaru's name had been first mentioned. Temari was right also, that food poisoning was not very likely. There was a more logical answer that neither Shikamaru nor Rox would even think to consider. "Rox," Cordi said quietly, immediately gathering everyone's attention. "When was your last menstrual cycle?"

* * *

"And peppermint!" Hinata called after him as he was shutting the hotel room door. Naruto let out a sigh. Hinata's cravings were getting more ridiculous by the day. Last night, he found her snacking on dry ramen and watermelon slices. He hadn't been sure what to make of it as his stomach churned awkwardly at the sight. And the morning sickness hadn't subsided yet. He knew his morning breath made her sick, so he figured the cinnamon and peppermint gum she wanted him to get was for his breath. But the fish tacos and tomato sauce she wanted, he was positive, were for her.

The market wasn't far from the hotel, so he walked down the block to the store. The doors dinged as he opened them, announcing his entrance. He slowly perused the aisles, looking for the tomato sauce and fish tacos. The first thing he found was the sauce.

The bell rang several times loudly, drawing his attention to the front of the store. He peered around one of the aisles to see Cordi and the bridesmaids hustling to the hygienic aisle.

"Hurry up!" one of the girls called.

He inched over toward the aisle, making sure he was silent as possible. He didn't want them knowing he was there. He saw the group of girls staring at the pregnancy tests intently. "Well, how many should I get?" Cordi asked, reaching for one. Naruto's eyes bugged. He couldn't believe what he was witnessing.

"Well, you never want to get just one," Fred chimed in. "False positives are a bitch."

Cordi nodded looking at the shelf. "Get five," Rox ordered with a small nod.

"PFFT!" Lynne stepped forward. "Don't get stingy, Cordi! You're marrying the Kazekage. Get TWENTY!" She quickly reached into the shelf, and swept its contents into her arms.

"Lynne!" Temari balked.

"Oh, hush! I know Gaara's a little frugal, but if he knew he might have a new addition to the family, I'm _sure_ he wouldn't mind fronting the money," Lynne stated walking back down the aisle to the cash registers.

Temari bit her lip, before following her, "_Fine_! But if he gets angry when he finds out you guys spent so much on pregnancy tests, it's on you!" The others followed behind slowly.

Rox looked at Cordi appraisingly. "So, how do you think he'll take it?"

Cordi tapped the box between her fingers and bit her lip. "Good, I hope." She returned Rox's gaze. "How do you think he'll take it?"

Rox pursed her lips. "Screaming for the hills?"

Cordi shook her head, "I doubt that. But _if_ he did that, I'd have to kill him for ruining my wedding day."

Naruto swiveled around the other side of the aisle, seeing them get in line for the register. Ronni was holding another pregnancy test, shaking her head. "I can't believe you're gonna be a mom."

"You can't believe it?" Cordi barked, "I can't believe it." She handed the man behind the register the cash, then pulled away the bags. She turned around to the bridesmaids, holding up the bags, "Let's test these babies out!" It was silent before she muttered, "No pun intended."

Naruto continued to watch silently as the girls exited the store, hurrying to the spa day they had planned. Naruto realized his breathing was off as his mind raced. They were going to tell Gaara about the baby at the wedding. Knowing Gaara, he'd most likely freak out. He was going to be publicly blind-sided. But Naruto knew it wasn't his place to tell Gaara. And not talking wasn't really his strong suit.

He shook his head free of the thoughts about Cordi's pregnancy. "Just forget about it," he muttered to himself. He quickly found the fish tacos, and went in line for the register, grabbing the packs of gum Hinata had requested. He quickly paid, and rushed back to the hotel.

As soon as he walked in, Hinata swarmed him. "It's about time you got here! I'm starving!" She yanked the fish tacos and tomato sauce out of his hands, and proceeded to rip open the packages savagely. Naruto just nodded awkwardly, before looking at the clock. 10:30. He was late.

"Shit, Hinata. I gotta go," he sighed, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Hinata just nodded, continuing to devour her taco. He left her to her strange foods, and walked down to the Kazekage manor, his mind tormenting him with the knowledge of Cordi's pregnancy.

He knocked on the door, only to have Kankuro open it quickly. "Welcome to the party!" Kankuro laughed, pulling Naruto into the foyer and escorting him into the living room where everyone was sitting, drinking sake and tea. Kankuro grabbed Naruto a glass, and showed him a chair.

Immediately, Naruto began to finger the rim of his cup, and focused on the liquid inside. He could feel Gaara's eyes on him, but he didn't make any notion that he would look anywhere else. _Cordi should be the one to tell Gaara._ He'd remind himself. But that just kept circling to _Gaara should know before the wedding so he's not blind-sided._ To _But Cordi won't see him until the ceremony._ And back to _Cordi should be the one to tell Gaara._

"What is it Naruto?" Lee asked, who sat next to Kankuro and Shikamaru on the couch.

Naruto lifted his gaze for a bit and shook his head fervently. "It's nothing."

Kankuro's eyes narrowed. "Doesn't look like nothing."

Naruto shook his head again and pursed his lips. "Seriously, it's nothing."

Gaara rolled his eyes. "You've always been a terrible liar, Naruto."

As soon as Naruto's gaze shifted to Gaara, he knew he couldn't hold it in. "Cordi's pregnant," he blurted, then downing his sake quickly. He heard Kankuro lean forward, and he could feel Gaara's heavy gaze. "I mean, I _think_ she's pregnant." Naruto went back to fingering the empty cup.

"What do you mean, you 'think she's pregnant?'" Kankuro asked.

"I mean, when I was at the market, getting stuff for Hinata this morning, I saw Cordi there – buying pregnancy tests," Naruto stated strained. He grabbed another glass of Sake and downed it like the last one. "Shit," he rasped around his burning throat.

It was silent for a bit before Gaara asked eerily calmly, "You're sure they were for her?"

Naruto shrugged, "They were talking about how you would react to finding out about 'an addition to your family,' word for word. So yeah, pretty sure." Naruto then pursed his lips tightly looking around. Kankuro's gaze shifted worriedly toward his brother. Gaara just gave an awkward nod, and left the room, running his hand through his hair.

The group was awkwardly silent as each of the guys fingered their cups. "Way to kill the buzz, Naruto," Shikamaru muttered, leaning back and taking a sip of his tea.

"Sorry! But I couldn't just hold information like that in!" Naruto snapped.

"What aw you talkin abou?"

The group looked to the entryway of the room, seeing Yukina standing there, rubbing her eyes. Kankuro smiled and shook his head, "Nothing sweetie." He quickly looked at his watch, muttering, "Crap. Hey, I gotta take her to Temari's."

The group nodded as Kankuro got up, taking his toddler out of the room. He turned back saying, "I'll see what information I can gather. Meanwhile, make sure Gaara doesn't do anything stupid. He's probably even _more_ nervous now than he already was, _Naruto_."

"Hey!" Naruto snapped.

Kankuro smiled then stated, "I'll be back!"

* * *

Rox sat at the kitchen table of Temari's apartment, five pregnancy tests resting in front of her.

"Are they seasoned yet?" Fred smirked, sitting next to her. Rox shook her head.

Cordi came out in her mud mask, and smiled holding the pregnancy test box like a model. "EverSure Pee-Stick. The most sophisticated piece of technology you will ever pee on," she drawled like a voice actor reading a slogan for a company. Rox smiled a little while Fred and Lynne, who was behind Cordi in a similar mud mask, just guffawed.

Cordi sat down, tossing the box in the middle of the table. "So, how long until we know?"

"Anytime now," Rox sighed, spinning one of the sticks on the end. As it revolved, a blue symbol appeared on the center of the stick.

The girls at the table leaned in as it slowly stopped spinning. A blue plus sign. "Does that mean –" Fred began to ask. Lynne quickly grabbed the box.

"POSITIVE!" she sang, before chanting, "YOUR EGGO IS PREGGO! YOUR EGGO IS PREGGO!"

"Positive?" Temari and Ronni chimed in, leaning out of the bathroom. When they saw Fred and Lynne dancing around Rox, chanting, they quickly joined in happily.

Cordi hugged Rox and jumped excitedly, while Rox just held her hands over her mouth. Everyone stopped when they noticed Rox had begun to cry. "Rox, what's wrong," Cordi asked, pulling away.

"Yoshino – I mean, we can't go back now. Not with a baby," Rox sobbed, shaking her head.

"And why the hell not?" Lynne asked.

"Yeah, you have us. She can't hurt you," Fred stated.

"But what if she shuns the baby from the rest of the family, or Shikamaru," Rox cried, "Or what if she just treats the baby horribly. I can't let that happen."

"Hey!" Cordi snapped, shaking Rox a little. "All you have to worry about is if Shikamaru's okay with it, not that there would be a problem or anything! And if Yoshino even thinks about treating my niece or nephew badly, she'll have the Kazekougou to deal with. Understand?" Rox nodded, with a sniffle. "Plus, you guys already got married against her wishes. Sometimes a baby can make it all better."

"Yeah, remember Schustiens?" Ronni asked. "One family was Catholic, and the other was Jewish. They did not get along one bit until the first kid was born."

Rox nodded again. "See? You'll be just fine," Cordi smiled. "Now dry your tears!"

Rox wiped away her tears, and smiled. "My eggo is preggo," she began chanting. Everyone began dancing and chanting "YOUR EGGO IS PREGGO!" like before.

A knock sounded at the doorway, stopping all chanting. They stayed silent, looking at each other as someone knocked again. "TEMARI!" Kankuro shouted through the door. "Open up!"

Rox looked at everyone shocked, as if surprised to remember there was a world outside their chanting circle.

"UHM, HOLD ON!" Temari called just before mouthing, "Put those in the trash!" The girls nodded quickly, and began to hustle, taking the positive pregnancy tests to the trash can, which was situated next to the door. As the girls finished rushing around, Temari mouthed, "Act natural!" She swung the door open, seeing Kankuro frowning, holding Yukina in his arms.

"You didn't have to clean the house. She's seen it dirty, you know," he grumbled.

Temari smiled sardonically as she took Yukina. "Yeah, well we didn't want her making a mess with nail polish, did we?"

Kankuro narrowed his gaze as he said, "Ri-ight." He held his hand behind his back as his other hand reached for the door knob. He seemed to pause strangely for a bit before awkwardly adding, "Well, I should be going. Be a good girl, Yukina." He opened the door and stepped out, "I'll see you guys later."

As soon as he was gone, Fred asked, "What was that?"

"I don't know. Kankuro's always been weird," Temari stated, shaking her head as she took Yukina back to her room. Cordi shrugged and followed her back, along with the others.

* * *

It didn't take long for Kankuro to get back to the manor. He quickly got back into the living room, standing in front of the group. Gaara had come back in the room, and his leg was seriously twitching in impatience. "They said you were getting intel," Gaara reasoned nervously.

Kankuro smiled reaching in his back pocket. "I scored this from the trash can." He quickly handed the pregnancy test to Gaara.

"But how did you get it?" Lee asked, amazed.

"I used my chakra strings," Kankuro stated as if it were obvious.

"Yeah, but how did you get it without them noticing?" Naruto pushed excitedly.

Kankuro looked at him strangely. "It's called being a _ninja_. You should try it sometime."

Naruto rolled his eyes, and slouched back down.

"So, she really is pregnant," Gaara stated breathily.

"Pardon?" Kankuro asked, turning to his brother.

Gaara gestured to the test. "It's positive." He bit his lip, as he set the test on the coffee table. He leaned back, putting his other hand under his nose and chin, as if contemplating something.

"But, you're going to be a father. Isn't this good news?" Lee asked.

Gaara looked to the center of the floor. He took in a sharp breath as he lowered his hand and stated, "The last two women to give birth in this family have died." He licked his lips and shook his head. "I'm not afraid of becoming a father. Just – I just was hoping our marriage would last longer than only nine months."

Shikamaru shook his head. "Gaara, you can't know she'll die in childbirth."

Gaara looked away with a shrug. "And you can't know she'll live." The living room was silent. No one knew what to say to that. Gaara just nodded dejectedly, and left the living room again.

"Oh, well done, Naruto," Kankuro muttered.

"What did I do?" Naruto asked appalled.

"Told Gaara Cordi's gonna die!" Kankuro snapped.

"I did NOT!" Naruto defended. "I said Cordi bought a pregnancy test! _You_ affirmed that she was pregnant! And _HE_ insinuated that she was going to die!"

"Just shut up," Shikamaru grumbled. "None of you are helping."

"But Shikamaru," Lee interjected, "Kankuro is wrong!"

"I'm saying arguing about it has no point," Shikamaru snapped. "Trust me, if it were Rox, I'd be worried about the same thing!" He let out a sigh before muttering, "Just let him worry and figure things out with Cordi." The boys were silenced by his schooling, so he sighed, "I'm going to get dressed. I'd suggest you do the same. We have to leave in a bit for pictures." With that, he too left the living room.

Kankuro shook his head and left Naruto and Lee in the living room, walking upstairs to Gaara's room. "Gaara?" he asked opening the door. He frowned as he saw his brother turning the wedding band he bought for Cordi between his fingers. Kankuro felt his heart drop a little as he walked over and stood in front of him, arms crossed.

Gaara didn't look up as he remarked, "I guess I should be apologizing to you."

Kankuro's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Gaara pursed his lips. "When you were getting married – to Matsuri. I," he breathed out slowly before nodding, "I was an ass."

Kankuro shrugged. "It was understandable, though," he reasoned.

"Still," Gaara muttered, still playing with the ring, "I should have been happy for you and I was – selfish."

Kankuro shook his head. "Gaara, why does it matter?"

Gaara shrugged, looking out the window. "Just – I feel as if I've been put in your shoes from your wedding day. And – I don't know."

Kankuro could only blink. "You think this is your fault?" Gaara looked down, as if ashamed or disappointed, confirming what his brother just asked. "Gaara –" Kankuro tried to find something to say, but the ridiculousness of the statement left his voice wordless.

"It is my fault, Kankuro. I mean, maybe if I hadn't been an ass about you and Matsuri, this wouldn't be happening now," Gaara tried to argue.

Kankuro waved his hand to stop him. "Gaara, how you felt on my wedding day has _nothing_ to do with Cordi's pregnancy. Alright?" Gaara opened his mouth to argue, but Kankuro held up a silencing hand. "It's not your fault Cordi's pregnant."

Gaara looked at him very confused. "Are you saying I didn't impregnate her?"

"No, that's not what I meant," Kankuro sighed, rolling his eyes. He lifted his hands in small circling motions, looking for what to say. "Look, pregnancies happen. It's a fact of life. So, that's not your fault."

"But if I had actually been sincere at your wedding…" Gaara started.

"Cordi would still be pregnant now," Kankuro finished, "And we'd be having a completely different conversation about how you actually feel, instead of trying to pin a reason on a feeling from three years ago!" Gaara shook his head and returned to looking out the window. "Just because Cordi is pregnant, doesn't mean she'll die."

"You _don't_ know that," Gaara muttered, shaking his head.

"Gaara, it's actually very rare for a woman to die in childbirth now," Kankuro stated, nodding his head.

Gaara looked at him in disbelief. "Kankuro it's happened _twice_ in a row with our family!"

Kankuro bit his lip, before explaining, "What mom had was a rare condition from scar-tissue build up. Matsuri was bed-ridden because she was seventeen and small for a woman giving birth, which caused trouble. _Cordi_ is not small, and definitely not too weak to carry a child to term." Gaara just stared and Kankuro blankly, which was the reaction Kankuro didn't quite know how to counter. Kankuro sighed, shaking his head again. "Gaara, you have to have faith that everything will work out fine. You just have to take everything step by step. Just focus on the wedding now." He paused to see if what he said went through. Gaara nodded lightly, putting a small smile on Kankuro's face. Kankuro turned to leave, but turned quickly before shutting the door, "And get dressed. We've got to leave soon."

* * *

The procession had started with loud music. The groomsmen entered first, then Gaara was to walk in, then wait for the bridesmaids and Cordi and Shikamaru, who was escorting her in. Kankuro was holding Shikamaru's spot next to him so the line didn't get weird when they'd have to exit the hall. The first in was Naruto, then Lee. Kankuro then walked down, giving a wink to Gaara just before.

Then it was Gaara's turn. His hands felt clammy as he took his first step into the Great Hall. He wasn't surprised to see that there was a huge turn-out for his wedding. All the focus was on him as he walked. The hall was packed with Feudal Lords of the Wind Country and their families, council members and their families, the new Sand Village elders, many high ranking ninja, Cordi's students, and all his friends from Konoha. Baki sat in place of where Gaara's parents would have been sitting, holding four white Desert Lilies. Confused, he looked over to where Cordi's family would have been, only to see a large bouquet of yellow lilies tied to the end of the bench. It took him a little bit to realize that they were there to symbolize each family member that wouldn't be at the wedding. Baki held a lily for his mother, his father, and his uncle. He thought about the last lily, confused, but shook it off as he stood next to his brother.

Kankuro smiled as he whispered to him, "How you holding up?"

Gaara let out a nervous breath and nodded. "Better. Thanks by the way, for earlier."

Kankuro shrugged. "It was my turn anyway."

Cordi stood in the back of the hall, constantly reminding herself to breathe. Her nerves and excitement were getting to her head and stomach, as her insides twisted and turned uncomfortably. She watched with baited breath as Yukina skipped down the aisle, tossing her flower petals from the basket with glee. Temari being the tallest stood at the end of the group of bridesmaids. Next was Fred, then Lynne, Ronni, and Rox, who had a nervous smile on her face.

Shikamaru, who had his arm linked with Cordi's looked at her with a slightly tired smile. "You ready?"

Cordi took in a nervous breath and nodded. "Uh-huh." As he took a step forward, she stopped, putting a vice grip on his arm that she was linked to. He turned giving her a strange look. She licked her lips nervously before saying, "Make sure I don't fall, or trip, or something?"

Shikamaru just blinked before he let out an amused smile and small chuckle. "Yeah, I think I can do that." She nervously nodded again as she took her first steps into the hall. Yukina had just finished throwing her petals and was being picked up by Kankuro.

She looked to Gaara, who had a small smile growing on his face as she got closer and closer. She knew her A-line champagne dress made her look gorgeous. Her hair had been tossed onto her head in an up-doo with ringlet wisps falling against her face. Her cathedral length veil slowly dragged behind her with the train of her dress. She smiled, seeing Gaara looking perfect in his tux.

They were in the front of the hall sooner than she expected. Gaara was smiling at her, and she at him.

The council member officiating the ceremony looked at Shikamaru plainly. "Who gives this woman to this man in marriage?"

"I do," Shikamaru stated.

Cordi smiled at him as her new brother leaned in, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for doing this," she whispered.

"No problem," he smiled. He looked at her a second longer then nodded, whispering, "You'll make a great mother." He squeezed her hand as he began to walk to his place as she just blinked at him confused.

Her brain somewhat stopped, forgetting about the wedding. _Mother?_ Had she missed something? Her brain couldn't quite fit the puzzle pieces together as she just blinked in confusion.

"Cordi," Gaara whispered, clearly hoping not to draw any attention to the delay. She turned to look at him, noticing his hand was out, waiting for hers. She shook her head with a small chuckle, putting her hand in Gaara's as she stepped up to be with him. She turned lightly, handing her bouquet to Rox, who smiled reassuringly at her. She returned, placing her other hand in Gaara's and letting out a slow breath with a smile. He grinned at her and nodded. They were getting married.

They followed the officiate numbly, repeating after him and speaking when asked. But their eyes never left each other's. After their vows, the officiate presented an elegant bottle, along with two others. One bottle held blue sand, the other white. It was clear the blue sand was meant for Gaara and the white for Cordi. They picked up their bottles of sand, and as directed by the officiate, poured them into the elegant empty bottle as the officiate said, "Life's moments are as grains of sands, forever moving and shifting in the winds of time. Today, Gaara Subaku and Cordelia Turner, you are making your eternal commitment to each other, blending the sands of your lives together. The separate vessels of sand you now hold represent your lives until this moment. And from this moment on, as the sands blend together, you shall become one. A family created." The mixed sand had turned to a light sky blue.

As they set the bottles down, Kankuro and Roxanne stepped up, each handing their sibling the rings while the officiate introduced the blessing of the rings. He then nodded to Gaara to start. Gaara nodded, gently taking Cordi's left hand and sliding the ring on her finger as he said, "I, Gaara Subaku, give you, Cordelia Turner, this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment to you."

Cordi smiled, and as the officiate directed, took Gaara's hand and replied, "I, Cordelia Turner, give you, Gaara Subaku, this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment to you." They both smiled at each other, letting out a smile relieved breath.

The officiate smiled and nodded before announcing, "By the power vested in my by the Fuedal Lords of the Wind Nation, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Gaara, you may kiss your bride." And without hesitation he did. The kiss was sweet and gentle. The recessional flared to life loudly, announcing their time to leave. They broke their kiss apart, and nearly ran out of the hall. A carriage waited for them outside to take them to the reception. They quickly climbed aboard and rode off laughing.

"Thank god that's over," Cordi sighed, slouching down. She looked at Gaara impishly before saying, "Now, I can get fat." Gaara's grin fell to a simple smile. She looked at him oddly before stating, "You know that was a joke, right?"

"Yes, but – I just want you to know," Gaara started nervously, "I'm ok with it."

She shot him a strange look. "You'd … be ok … with me getting fat?" What was it with people speaking weirdly to her today? Gaara just looked at her blankly, as if he'd fallen into word trap, and wasn't quite sure how to get out. She pursed her lips strangely before asking, "Gaara, are you trying to tell me you're into fat chicks?"

"No, I mean – anything that's going to happen, as long as you're by my side, I'm ok with it," he reiterated, clearly hoping to get his point across.

Cordi smiled. "Awe, that's so sweet." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and pulled away smiling. He looked as if he expected something, but was waiting on her. "Hey, could you help me un-pin my veil. I really don't want to dance with it, and having people step on it, and killing my neck. It just doesn't sound like a good idea."

Gaara's shoulders sank as he frowned at her. He shook his head, rolling his eyes and letting out a small exasperated sigh. "Sure," he muttered, reaching up to pull pins out carefully.

* * *

As Cordi and Gaara pulled into the reception, they could see their wedding party already there waiting for them. They walked to the doors, staying out of sight from the crowd of friends waiting for them to join the party. The MC of the venue the Subakus had rented out began introducing the wedding party to the others present. "Matron of Honor, Roxanne Nara, and Flower Girl, Yukina Subaku, escorted by Best Man, Kankuro Subaku." Rox and Kankuro walked in with linked arms, Kankuro holding Yukina's hand with his other hand, while each of them waved to the crowd, Yukina waving very shyly. "Maid of Honor, Ronni Butler, escorted by groomsman, Shikamaru Nara." They walked in, Ronni smiling and waving, while Shikamaru looked slightly bored. "Bridesmaid, Lynne Belfoco, escorted by groomsman, Rock Lee." Lynne waved excitedly to the group as Lee beamed to everyone, laughing about the "youthfulness" of the room. "And bridesmaids, Winnifred Butler and Temari Subaku, escorted by groomsman, Naruto Uzumaki." As Naruto walked out, Temari and Fred on each arm, he smiled and swaggered like a pimp into a club. Fred and Temari smiled, but were clearly nudging Naruto to move faster. "And lastly, allow me to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Gaara Subaku!"

Cordi let out a breath with a smile at her new husband before they took their first steps into the party, getting cheers and woops from several of their friends, Naruto and Lee being the loudest. As Gaara and Cordi entered the dance floor, they circled around the area for a bit before coming together in a slight embrace. They waited for the gentle guitar to start playing the song of their first dance. Cordi beamed up at her husband, and he back at her. She hummed along with the lyrics as they tried their best to not step on each other's toes with each graceful step.

As the bridge of the song came up, Cordi leaned into Gaara as they twirled. "Cordi, I know," Gaara whispered gently in her ear.

She lifted her head to look at him strangely. "Know?"

He nodded then leaned in again, "About the baby," he whispered, pulling her into a turn.

She pulled away lightly, making it look as if it were part of the dance. "How?" she gasped.

Gaara pulled her back in, and explained, "Naruto saw you guys at the market, and Kankuro snuck a test out of the trash can."

Cordi was looking about herself almost frantic. "Sh-Shikamaru, does he know?" Gaara smiled and nodded, rolling his eyes a little. "Dammit, Naruto," she cursed, licking her lower lip.

"Cordi, it doesn't matter," Gaara stated, as they twirled. "I couldn't be happier. I mean, I'm worried about it, but it makes me happy knowing _we_ – are going to be parents."

Cordi just blinked at him, her mouth agape and shaking her head. She let out a small chuckle as the song twinkled out its final notes. Gaara turned and began to lead her off, but she didn't budge, making sure to keep him on the dance floor. Gaara turned back to see her seriously struggling to keep her composure. She slowly pulled him back into a slight embrace as the next song began to play and other couples, like Rox and Shikamaru and Kankuro and Fred, entered the dance floor.

Cordi and Gaara began to sway as Cordi chuckled. Gaara just looked at her very confused. After a bit, Gaara just rolled his eyes and asked, "Do you mind sharing with the rest of the class, Cordi?"

"It's Rox," Cordi smiled ironically. Gaara just looked at her even more perplexed. "I'm not pregnant."

Gaara looked up, cocking his head as the puzzle pieces came together in his head. Cordi could see a small, slightly relieved smile appear on his face. "So," he slurred, "not pregnant?"

Cordi shook her head with a smile. She laughed before asking, "So, that whole thing about not caring if I become fat?"

"Only if you _are_ pregnant," Gaara muttered with a laugh as he shook his head.

* * *

Butterflies fluttered in Rox's belly as she and Shikamaru watched Gaara's and Cordi's first dance as husband and wife. She was still trying to find a good time to tell him about the baby, but she'd barely spent more than five seconds in his presence since the morning. Soon, she and Shikamaru, as well as Kankuro and Fred, were supposed to join the newlyweds on the dance floor.

Gaara and Cordi looked to be having a conversation, Cordi now smiling openly when only moments before she looked surprised and confused. Every word they shared was not overheard because of the music and people couldn't read their lips because they didn't remain still.

Maybe the best time to tell Shikamaru would be during their dance? People wouldn't be able to hear them, but neither would the focus be solely on the two of them. The only problem with that scenario would be the emotional response and how that would affect their dancing.

Across the dance floor, Kankuro emerged from the crowd, hand-in-hand with Fred – who still looked surprised that she'd been asked to dance, but elation made her face glow. Rox smiled at the two before taking Shikamaru's offered hand and being led onto the dance floor.

As she and Shikamaru began their dance, Shikamaru studied her, frowning. "Rox?"

Rox looked up at him and blinked, so wrapped in her thoughts that she was actually a little surprised at being addressed. "Yes?"

"You seem really distracted. Are you alright?" he asked.

Rox exhaled. It had to be now. "Shikamaru, I have something I need to tell you," she started. Shikamaru stayed quiet, letting her speak. That was one thing she loved about him. He listened to everything she had to say without interrupting. Now she just had to get the words out. Maybe she should try that 'inhaling and then let what's on your mind out in one breath' thing she'd read about years ago. So, she took a deep breath and said, "IfoundoutthismorningI'mpregnantandthat'swhyIwassosick."

Shikamaru stared her, face blank as he tried to decipher what she said. Finally he let out a short laugh, "I'm sorry, I don't know if I heard that quite right. Could you repeat the sentence?"

Rox let out a nervous laugh. "Sorry… I'm just really nervous."

"What have you got to be nervous about? Rox, it's me you're talking to. You can tell me anything," Shikamaru replied, smiling at her.

"Alright…" Rox said and took a shaky breath. "I'm pregnant, Shikamaru."

Then the rarest of things happened. Shikamaru's composure was fractured. His eyes widened, his mouth opened as if he had something to say but couldn't get the words out, and he missed a step in the dance that he had meticulously learned and practiced, sending Rox into a small awkward spin away from him. She pulled back into his arms, trying to recover from the miss-step. She gently tried to lead, hoping he'd get back into step. She quietly scoffed to herself, "I'm really glad we took those dance lessons!"

A small smile formed on Shikamaru's lips, despite the still dazed expression in his eyes. Rox gently put a hand to his cheek, smile leaving her face as anxiety took hold. "Shika, you're not upset are you?"

At the question, the dazed expression in his eyes vanished. He closed them and sighed as he leaned his head down to touch his forehead to hers, finally leading once again. "Of course I'm not, Rox. I always planned on having kids with you. I just need to wrap my head around how this happened so quickly."

Rox laughed quietly in relief as she replied, "well, when two people love each other—"

Shikamaru let out a bark of laughter as he pulled away. "No, I know how it _happened_. I just don't know _how_ it happened," he reiterated. Rox tilted her head slightly to the side, perplexed. "Yeah that made about as much sense as what you said earlier," he laughed lightly.

"About, yeah," Rox replied, smiling. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but I only found out this morning and I didn't see much of you today until now…"

Shikamaru shrugged, "actually I was already told about a pregnancy." Rox stared at him wide-eyed and surprised. "Naruto saw you guys at the market buying the tests. He just assumed it was Cordi and couldn't keep his mouth shut."

"Sounds like Naruto. I just wish I didn't have to tell you so publicly," Rox sighed as she looked around the room. Surprisingly, very few people were watching them, and the few that were – like Ronni, Fred, and Temari – all had knowing smiles on their faces. "I hate being the center of attention…" she muttered to herself, loud enough for Shikamaru to hear.

He smirked at her, before directing her into a spin and then a dip once she was back in his arms, as the song ended. Rox could barely hold in her surprised gasp. "You hate being the center of attention, huh?" he asked before kissing her. Their lips lingered together for a few moments before he pulled away, smiling. "You know, I don't much like being the center of attention either."

* * *

Madara prowled down the hallway before he barged into Katsumi's workshop. Katsumi looked up calmly for a second, then moved her calm gaze back to her project. "Katsumi, would you mind explaining what is taking you so long?" Madara asked calmly. But Katsumi could hear his angry undertones.

"You know, I've been asking her the same fucking thing?" Hidan snapped, looking at the girl who was slowly sewing skin onto his hips. "Didn't you say this would only take you a month?"

Katsumi shifted her cool gaze to the Jashinist before venomously replying, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize how many _small_ pieces you have."

"What do you mean SMALL, you bitch!" Hidan snapped, lifting his almost done torso up with his one full arm.

Katsumi just smirked and continued working.

"How long?" Madara asked coolly.

Katsumi shook her head with a shrug. "Maybe months. The problem with meat puzzles is everything looks the same, but the pieces don't always mesh."

"Well, hurry it up you piece of shit!" Hidan snapped, "I want my fucking revenge on that Nara bastard who did this to me."

Madara quickly stepped up next to him, and forced him by his jaw to lie back down. Madara leaned in close with a dangerous growl, "I didn't bring you back for your petty revenge. You're here because I want your skills killing one of these women in the prophecy. Now, know this. If you even think of disobeying me, you will beg for the days you were stuck in that hole, for I can do so much worse than you have even dreamed." Madara stood up as he shoved Hidan back down, making his insecurely stitched head bounce off the table. Madara let out a sigh, the turned to Katsumi before ordering, "Hurry it up." He turned walking out of the room, muttering, "My patience is wearing thin."

**AN:** So I hope that tickled all of your fancies (made you guys happy). The song I thought of for the first dance was "I See the Light" from Tangled (awesome movie!). But that's not entirely important. What IS important is that you guys remember to review! Thanks!


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